Stone Weapons

Native Indian Tribe

Stone Weapons

Flint and chert were the most effective stone to use when making a Stone Age weapon. The process of making stone weapons from flint was called Flint Knapping and the weapon makers were called Flint knappers. Many Stone Weapons were made from a combination of materials.

An arrow or spear had a stone Arrowhead, or point, that was attached to a wooden handle and held together with a cord usually made from animal sinew or with a type of glue.

List of Stone Weapons
The following list of Stone Weapons provides the names of the different types of stone weapons used by people living in a Stone Age culture, such as the Native Americans, including their descriptions.

  • Projectile Points: A projectile point was a stone blade that was hafted to a projectile, such as a spear, dart, arrow, or throwing knife. Tanged points are projectile points that have a tang at one end to facilitate hafting. Projectile points fall into two general types, the large Spears and the smaller arrow points.
  • Clovis Point: Clovis points are leaf-shaped and had a wide groove on both sides of the base for fitting into short wooden spear shafts.
  • Arrowheads: An arrowhead weapon point or tip made of flintstone usually fixed to an arrow or a spear. Arrowhead points were smaller than spear points and penetrated skin more deeply than when fired by a bow.
  • Spears: A Spear is a long, pointed weapon, used in war and hunting, by thrusting or throwing.
  • Bow and Arrow (stone arrowheads): The Bow and Arrows were the most common types of weapons used by Native Americans. Different types and sizes of bows and arrows were designed for hunting and for fighting. Bows for horse back riders were smaller than those used on foot. The Bow and Arrow provided a long range, accurate weapon with a deadly, sharp arrowhead. Also refer to Quivers and Poisoned Arrows
  • Axes: The axe had a heavy bladed head 'hafted' to a handle made of wood
  • Knives: A knife was always carried by the Native American Indian. They varied in size and would be held in a sheath at their side or small knives were hung around the neck.
  • Knives were flaked from stone to form one or more cutting edges. Knives were essential tools used for cutting meat, hides, wood and food.
  • War Clubs: The hitting edge of the war club was rounded and measured between 20 and 30 inches long.
  • Jawbone Clubs: A jawbone club weapon was constructed out of the jawbone of a buffalo or a horse, although not made of stone this was in common use during the Stone Age. The hitting edge of the weapon was sharpened and the teeth were left inside keeping the jaw bone intact. The jawbone club was used as a close combat weapon and had the ability to cut through the chest of an opponent.
  • Hatchets: A Hatchet is a small axe with a short handle that was used with one hand.
  • Battle hammers: A Battle Hammer has a blunt, hammer-like head on one side of the handle or shaft, and usually a beak or point on the opposite side.
  • Axe-Like Club: The Axe-like club is illustrated in the picture at the top of the page.
  • Stone Ball Club: The Ball club was primitive but lethal. It consisted of a round-headed stone that was completely covered in heavy buckskin or rawhide and attached to a wooden handle. The head was relatively free-moving
  • Tomahawks: The Tomahawk was a Native American axe-like weapon that had a wooden handle with a head made of stone. The tomahawk could be used for close contact fighting or as a throwing weapon.
  • Fixed Ball Club: The Fixed Ball club was used with the intention of breaking the enemy's jaw with a violent upward thrust.
  • Slings / Slingshots: Slings / Slingshots were one of the oldest and most primitive weapons. Two pieces of cord made from plant fiber or sinew were tied to a leather pouch to hold the sling stones or pebbles.
Stone Tools
Native Indian Weapons and Tools
Native Indian Tribes Index

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Updated 2018-01-01

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