Quartz projectile/arrowhead?

KnapperHandy

Hi,

I was hoping our lithics experts here could throw their eyes upon the images I've attached,both here and in the immediate posts below.This quartz 'flake' was found in the plough soil of a field where quite a significant number of flint and chert artefacts have been recovered in recent years.To me,it looks like it has been worked and,dare I say it,looks remarkably like a broken projectile/arrowhead(the 'tip' broken),which bears an incipient tang.You can see in two of the images below where I've drawn an outline of this quartz 'arrowhead' and how it may have looked before it was broken;I think it looks convincing,but what do you guys think?However,I know only one quartz(rock crystal) arrowhead has been found to date in the Irish archaeological record,and that was found in a posthole of a neolithic house during excavations at Ballyglass,north Co.Mayo,by a team from UCD - so it may be too much to hope that this is another one,but who knows?

This quartz fragment could just as easily be a worked flake which has had the butt trimmed.I realise I'm using terminology here which is ordinarily used in relation to flint and chert technologies,so must be cautious,but I think those here who are familiar with lithics will understand what I mean.
The 'flake' is 26mm. long and 16mm. at its widest(unbroken,it would have been close to 36mm. in length),and is approximately 6.5mm. thick.It has what looks like flake removal scars on its dorsal side and a ridge that runs somewhat medially from the 'proximal' end to the broken/truncated 'distal' end(it's difficult to see in the images).The ventral side is somewhat flattened apart from an area just below the 'proximal' end/tang which bears an irregular shaped bump.I thought it had what looked like retouch/denticulation along at least one of the lateral edges,but it has been pointed out by an archaeologist that it may just be how the flake fractured originally and may in fact be natural.

This is one of two possible 'arrowheads' I've found on this site;the other was smaller and leaf-shaped,but sadly I had lost it by the time I had returned home - I was kicking myself and deeply disappointed as one can imagine!I have another small quartz fragment which may have been intended to be used as a blade or crude scraper.I know quartz technologies were being utilised on a well known site close by,so why not on this site too?

The study and research into quartz as a prehistoric resource is quite new in Irish archaeological circles I know,and finding a quartz technology 'expert' may be difficult,but I still nonetheless would love the opinions of our forum members - so it's over to you guys now!

Thanks.

KnapperHandy

More quartz 'arrowhead' images.

KnapperHandy

More quartz 'projectile/arrowhead' pics.

slowburner

KnapperHandy wrote: »

Hi,

However,I know only one quartz(rock crystal) arrowhead has been found to date in the Irish archaeological record,and that was found in a posthole of a neolithic house during excavations at Ballyglass,north Co.Mayo,by a team from UCD - so it may be too much to hope that this is another one,but who knows?


The study and research into quartz as a prehistoric resource is quite new in Irish archaeological circles I know,and finding a quartz technology 'expert' may be difficult...

Thanks.

I'm not completely sure that only one quartz arrowhead was ever recovered in Ireland.

And for the benefit of others interested in quartz lithics here is Killian Driscoll's seminal work on the subject (vol 1).

KnapperHandy

slowburner wrote: »

I'm not completely sure that only one quartz arrowhead was ever recovered in Ireland.

Yes slowburner,I'm sure you're very much correct!I got my info. from a research paper by Killian Driscoll and Graeme Warren which was published in 2007.I suspect many more have been found since then.

Thanks.