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Sticks and Stones: A Possible Experimental Solution to the Question of how the Clacton Spear Point was Made

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2014

John McNabb
John McNabb*
Affiliation:
Institute of Archaeology, 31–34 Gordon Square, London, WC1H 0PY
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Abstract

Unretouched flakes, Clactonian notches, true notches and a unifacial chopper were all used in a series of experiments on staves of yew wood. The aim of the experiments was to see which of the various Clactonian tool types could best reproduce the sharp, straight-sided taper of the Clacton spear point. Because of the hardness of the wood the experimenter was forced to begin close to the end of the wooden staves. The unretouched flakes when used in an outward whittling motion tended to produce point profiles with rounded tips; these resemble the point of the Lehringen lance. The Clactonian notch, better suited to an inward scraping motion, reproduced the same profile as the Clacton spear point. The experiments were repeated on four softer woods than yew in order to see how far the nature of the raw material affected the results. Irrespective of the hardness of the wood, rapid inward scraping consistently produced a point profile resembling the Clacton spear point using both an unretouched flake and Clactonian notches. The sharp, straight-sided taper of the Clacton spear point is therefore interpreted as being a result of the motion and technique of manufacture. Observations were taken on the efficiency and best ways of using the various stone tools used in the experiments. The most efficient of the tool types used for replicating the profile of the Clacton spear point using rapid scraping in an inward motion was the Clactonian notch.

Type
Other
Information
Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society , Volume 55 , Issue 1 , 1989 , pp. 251 - 257
Copyright
Copyright © The Prehistoric Society 1989

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References

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