Posted 8 years ago
Raestelle
(21 items)
Passed down in the family. Always wondered about this quiver and arrow set. Metal arrows with bamboo. I've no idea what type of animal the quiver is made of but I know it's threaded with sinew. I live in Texas and I'm pretty certain it's native to the area or not too far away. Maybe Arizona or New Mexico. I certainly could be wrong. Hoping for solid ideas and leads. Thank you!
Strange, this. Bamboo ? Never saw points like that either. Maybe made by family kids decades ago. Probably an interesting story.
No, not made by the family. Relatives were collectors of native American and primitive artifacts but I never was. Never saw metal points? Well, they exist. :)
I didn't say I had never seen metal points. These look like iron scrap slivers. Actually, I don't remember actually seeing a native American iron point or heard of them working iron back then. You have seen iron points made by them ?
They aren't iron scrap slivers. They are fashioned into arrowheads but maybe the angle of my picture isn't showing that as clearly as I think. Yes, they worked with metal; however to my knowledge, most metal arrowheads have been found on post-contact sites. And, of course, they're not as common as stone arrowheads.
Also, what you can't see in the picture is that two of the arrows are complete. The one on the right is the most intact. The "bamboo" (maybe I'm calling it wrong but looks bamboo to me) on the one on the left is frayed and the metal arrow and the rest of the contents slips out revealing the old cloth and the way they were made. As intact as they are, I'm certain that they can be authenticated and properly identified by someone familiar with metal arrowheads.
These are obviously old & I hope we find somebody who can explain this. Native Amer. did not forge iron pre- contact. Some Cherokee tribes would have worked metal after they were "civilized" by the white in the S. E. & established homesteads. This could be the explanation because of the forced resettlement in OK. Whoever made these arrows was certainly not accomplished at the art.
I am thinking they are an old tourist souvenir item. Where the arrowhead meets the shaft the connection is much too thick. It should be streamlined as it is supposed to penetrate flesh, pass between ribs and so on. It should have been done with sinew.
I do recall a historical account of a frying pan being used to make arrowheads much to the consternation of those on the receiving end. American Indians used many metal weapons after they became available but they were mostly trade axes and knives.
No, not a tourist item. I think what your seeing as "thick" is the breakdown and/or "swelling" in material combined with the fact that the metal tips are loose enough to move thus making it appear that way. It just may be that they are now pushed in too far. I don't think my pictures are showing the tips clearly. I'll try to take some better close ups. These arrowheads could definitely penetrate flesh. However, my thought is that they were made for small game and, maybe, even for use by a child. There is absolutely no way to judge how accomplished the person was who made them by these pictures. The pics do not show the inside and make-up of the entire arrow. In fact, you're only seeing the metal tip. It has a shaft that goes deep into the bamboo. As far as I know, that shaft may have extended further out and there's a possibility of missing attachment material. I'll try to get better pictures in the morning. I appreciate the comments. Thank you.
I meant to say "deeper into the bamboo" not deep. The metal arrow itself, from tip to end, is approximately 6 1/2" long. Also, now that I'm looking at it again, the string your seeing use to be wrapped around the cloth that's on the inside that you can't see in these pics, so with that being the case, I'm pretty certain that the actual attachment material is missing on both arrows. Also, it would stand to reason that, like fortapache mentioned, it was done with sinew that is now gone. Especially since the quiver is also made with sinew and some type of animal skin. So, the arrows are not as complete as I first thought.
Maybe these pictures of the arrowhead will help. Just a note: The pictures make the cloth and string look lighter/whiter than they really are. They're actually pretty dingy and the cloth is pretty dry as you would expect from older material. As mentioned, the arrowheads are approximately 6 1/2" in total length.
http://imgur.com/MkNQwfw
http://imgur.com/x5E6qrg
http://imgur.com/ClesyYV
http://imgur.com/7Xq03Ol
http://imgur.com/K0Elae0
Then there is the 6 1/2 " length. That would put in a category with darts, crossbow bolts, child's toys or tourist souvenir. The lack of stabilizing fins eliminates any serious use, such as hunting or fighting. That being said brings us back to square 1. LOL ! Thanks for the extra pix, as they confused me more. LOL!
Lol! I'm going to be adamant about one thing. They are definitely not a tourist souvenir. However, your comments are really getting my wheels turning and I thank you for that. You mentioned stabilizing fins so I took a closer look. Where stabilizing fins should be, there is darkening of the wood. Perhaps created by hide glue or some form of attachment process. It is possible that they are simply missing. Like I said, the arrows are not as near as complete as I originally thought. Also, I should no longer call it bamboo wood. It's not. It's a grass shoot of some sort. I took a close up picture of the discoloration where fins should be. I'll try to upload it soon. Thanks for your comments! I wish you could hold it in your hands. It would provide clarity for my inept attempt to describe it, lol! But I do think we may be making headway.