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How to Identify Central Texas Arrowheads

Central Texas is home to dozens of types, or styles, of arrowheads. The types of arrowheads that you find can be identified by the style of chipping that the ancient American Indians used to create the point. Most points found in central Texas are from the Archaic period, which lasted from 7,000 B.C. to approximately 2,000 B.C. These flint points are usually shaped, or flaked, with a random percussion style, and the blade edge is sharpened with small, pressure flaking.

Things You'll Need

Arrowhead
Arrowhead field guide

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the base of your arrowhead. Does it have a stem? Many stemmed points are from the Archaic period and range in age from 4,000 to 9,000 years old.
- 2
  Examine the shape of you arrowhead. Does your arrowhead have shoulders that flare out from the stem or base of the point? Some arrowheads do not have shoulders, but instead have a rounded base. If your arrowhead has shoulders, decide if you think they look straight or barbed. These are important clues that will help you identify the name of your point in a field guide.
- 3
  If your point doesn't have a stem or shoulders, examine the flaking on its broad sides carefully. Does it have a long flake, called a flute, taken from the base on both flat sides, running up the middle? If so, you may have found one of the rarest types. These arrowheads are called Clovis, and they are from the Paleo period, which was 10,000 to 14,000 years ago.
- 4
  Decide what to do with your arrowheads. Many arrowheads are very beautiful, and some are works of art. Consider framing them so your friends and family can enjoy them. After you have studied them and learned their different flaking styles and shapes, you'll be able to tell how old they are, what time period they came from, the name they have been given, and even the type of flint they were made from. You may even be able to tell what they were used for.

Artifacts