Bird points

[Tam]

I cannot remember the thread or area I read this unfortunately but it referanced to birdie points .
A amateur such as myself thinking it was to kill birds .I think of points as almost a cal bullet .
As the Megafauna were becoming extinct and smaller animals were coming in I start to think in that direction .
Smaller animals , smaller points , as well as the arrow
coming into use .
when I read all my books I never read anything that has to do with why these points are so small and what was the
use .
I hear people say fish . But then the Mississippian era had
equipment for that in some articfts I see .
So the next time someone says oh look a birdie I want to be the person that has a more educated answer .
Rabbit ? Smaller game ?
I have a few bird points as they are called so small I cannot believe they are knapped that small .
Why so small ?

[Tam]

A chipped crude example of this oh so small point .

[G10+]

Well one reason is it has to be small to fly on the end of a stick :-)

[south fork]

A s Small arrow point in the heart just as dead as a large point. Here a little guy from a recent hunt.

[Scorpion68]

An engineer would understand it Tam. A point on the end of a shaft (weight) requires X amount of thrust to drive it X distance accurately. I think Painshill had an indepth post regarding this subject, which I believe was about Atlatl's and Bows vs Darts and Arrows. I'll see if I can find that post for ya.

[Havenhunter]

"Birdie" is a modern nomemclature. so called 'bird points'--even those under a half inch in length--are lethal enough to kill a deer or even larger animals. These are true arrowheads, intended to be attached to shafts and shot using a bow.

[Scorpion68]

Tam - go to "Artifact Questions and Answers" forum, Page 9, my post about "Dart Point vs Arrowhead for Bow and Arrow." Lots of commentary but Painshill had a very detailed post on it that related the point and its intended use more to culture rather that relative size of the point. I think you'll find it very interesting and quite educational.

[tomclark]

Yep, see above! The Bow and Arrow, Arrow vs Dart and effectiveness/lethality noted.

[Tam]

Ok thank you everyone
Chuck go to your post about the blade or point ?? Was that it
where Wayne went off with his calculus drawing for me .
That is him Mr engineer / architecture guy .
headace from his mathematical answers lol .

I like the bow and arrow explanation from everyone
thanks again .

[Scorpion68]

I forgot Wayne was an engineer. Knowing he would love Painshill's post on the subject. When you read it and understand it, it makes sense. But, I still call them Bird Points and they fit in my collection equally well with all the other points/BLADES/arrowheads/scrapers/flakes and doodles or exotics.

[chase]

It is more of a bow thing and weight I got to sit and listen to a lecture on this subject

[Hoss]

Just an FYI small points killed buffalo. Buffalo have conjoined lungs Pierce one and both lungs collapse. Not all animals are like that but I just wanted you guys to know it did not take much of a hole to bring down critters that big.

[Tam]

Yep see that's what I want to hear chuck , chase , deb , Tom
all of you I get the point thing now . I figured it had to do with weight and a bow . That's why I commented on Chucks .

[Kansas Creekwalker]

Hoss is absolutely correct, just ask John Byrd about the 10.000 + points he has recovered from buffalo kill sites in Montana. It doesn't take a large point to kill a big animal.