The land that we refer to today as Jamestown Island has been in use by Indigenous Peoples for over 10,000 years. Archaeologists have divided this time into periods, to better understand changes over time and the development of human society. These defined time periods can be very different depending on location across the country and are based on broad observations about societal change. In this region, the Archaic period has been defined as dating roughly 8000-1100 BCE. Lithics tools are the predominant artifact type associated with the Archaic Period. As such, projectile points, with their varied characteristics are a great, quick indicator of date range.
In terms of both unique projectile point types and count, projectile points dating to the Archaic Period are the most prolific in the Jamestown collection. Over 200 Archaic period projectile points have been found by Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists, highlighting the long occupation and use of Jamestown Island prior to 1607. The vast majority of Archaic period projectile points have been found in disturbed contexts. Those that are found in intact contexts date to the 17th century and are likely the result of colonists collecting points that they found during their time in Virginia.
Examples of the types of Archaic period projectile points in the Jamestown collection are detailed in the chart below.
Assigning a type to a projectile point is challenging. There is a lot of variation in points, even among specific type classifications. These artifacts were made by human hands, and as with many custom made products, different makers will have different skill levels, preferences, and choices to make during the manufacturing process. Point type classifications are partially subjective and some trickier individual points may be typed differently depending on the archaeologist identifying them. While the standard view of the body, as seen in the chart, is an important visual factor in classifying points, other views not shown (such as the cross-section) are equally vital. Additionally, characteristics that are difficult to portray visually and must be determined via tactile analysis, such as basal grinding, are an important consideration. Factors like use-wear and taphonomic processes (such as breakage and deposit conditions) highly impact the general form of individual points, and some degree of imagination to visualize what the point looked like before it was modified is occasionally required. These pages are not intended to be a guide for identifying projectile points, but to show the variety that have been recovered at Jamestown.
doublet buttons in the jamestown collection
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Point Type
Time Period and Date Range (Virginia Specific)
Material Types in the Collection (in order of quantity)
