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- Title
A New Possible Function of Crescents.
- Authors
SUTTON, MARK Q.
- Abstract
Crescents are enigmatic flaked stone artifacts commonly associated with Western Stemmed Tradition and Paleocoastal complexes in western North America. Despite a number of suggestions, their function remains unclear. It is proposed here that at least some crescents may have been hafted on projectile shafts below (but near) their stone or wooden points as "spurs" to limit the penetration of the projectile into the body of a targeted animal, such as a large bird. This would have served to minimize the post-mortem damage to the prey and increase the chances of recovering both the projectile and the prey. This is the same concept found in some ethnographic bird arrows that have wooden cross members fastened below their wooden tips.
- Publication
Journal of California & Great Basin Anthropology, 2019, Vol 39, Issue 2, p222
- ISSN
0191-3557
- Publication type
Article