Hunting with Howiesons Poort Segments: Pilot Experimental Study and the Functional Interpretation of Archaeological Tools

Summary

J. Whittaker: HP = Middle Stone Age, S Africa, ca 70-55,000 BP. Distinctive backed blade segments and blade tools. Use as barbs or tips on projectile weapons? Tested 4 configurations, look at fractures. Glued into slotted wood shafts [look real crude to me - dowels with saw cut ends, apparently taped to larger shaft]. Machine [not specified] launch, 10 per weapon, 27 weapons, 167 shots into impala carcass. 85% penetrated, 37% survived all 10 shots. Transverse hafted segments least effective. Bending fracture with step termination, or with spin-off flakes one or both faces, + burination considered diagnostic of impact. Also found notching [they seem unclear but photos show bending fract notches out of edges - probably are impact]. Burination + bending fractures common in experiment + arch specimens. Location of residue traces suggests variability in hafting as in experiment. Tip cross-sectional area values (Shea 2006) in range of ethnog arrow points, some in range of darts or spears. So HP segments make effective weapon armatures and some were used that way.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• EXARC Experimental Archaeology Collection

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): EXARC Experimental Archaeology Collection Manager

Record Identifiers

ExArc Id(s): 10191

Notes

Rights & Attribution: The information in this record was originally compiled by Dr. Roeland Paardekooper, EXARC Director.