Minnesota Prehistory

Adena Points

During the Early Woodland period, a new culture emerged in North America called the Adena. This culture existed for only a short time, from approximately 1000 BC - 1 AD. The Adena people are best known for their mound building; this page, however, deals with their projectile points.

The Adena people used stone spear points for hunting. These points were usually made of Upper Mercer flint, and were generally hafted onto a rod.

The average size for them was:

• Total Length - 50 mm
• Blade Length - 36.6 mm
• Thickness - 25.2 mm
• Width - 24 mm

• Haft Width - 17.2mm

These spear points were made by percussion flaking and pressure chipping. Some points may have been made from leaf-shaped knife blades, while others were made from rough pieces of flint. The knife blades have pointed tips and rounded bases. These spear points were multipurpose artifacts also used for cutting and scraping.

Additional Links on the Adena People

• The Adena People

Bibliography

Prufer, Olaf. Studies in Ohio Archaeology. Kent State University Press. 1967.