North American Projectile Points

About the Book

This publication provides a single source for projectile points in the literature of American archaeology. Its purpose is to provide a quick lookup for point types; the user then utilizes the basic references that are provided for more research information, point comparisons, data, distributions, similar types, timemarkers, etc. There are nearly two thousand types in this publication. Within American archaeology, there are many forms of investigations, practices, methodologies, ethical standards, varying degrees of expertise, site-context artifacts, field-collected collections, and numerous other factors that apply to projectile point typology and American collections. And then there is the relic/collector world that probably holds more artifacts than any other group in the US. Somewhere in the midst of all this, there is reliable and truthful information about America’s antiquity. For some, archaeology is a compromise among people who study and curate (loosely used for private collection) prehistoric artifacts. Any attempt to produce a single publication on American projectile points will certainly place the writer between scientific archaeology and the proverbial other side of the arrowheads—the collector world. Justifiably, there are readers who simply want to learn more about the Native American’s material culture and will contribute their artifact finds to the archaeological community’s public record.

About the Author

Jack Hranicky is a retired U.S. Government contractor, but he has been involved with archaeology as a full-time passion for over 40 years. His main interest is the Paleo-Indian period; however, he has worked in all facets of American archaeology. He has published over 250 papers and over 50 books in archaeology with his most recent being a two-volume, 800-page, 10,000-artifact book on the material culture of Virginia. In Virginia, he is considered an expert on prehistoric stone tools and rockart. The prehistoric Spout Run Observatory site was investigated by him which dated 10,470 YBP. He has served as president of the Archeological Society of Virginia (ASV) and Eastern States Archeological Federation (ESAF), and been past chairman of the Alexandria Archaeology Commission in Virginia. And, he is the director of the Virginia Rockart Survey. He is a charter member of the Registry of Professional Archaeologists (RPA). And, since he joined the Archeological Society of Virginia (ASV) in 1966, he is its senior member. And finally, his major publication is PaleoAmerican Archaeology in Virginia.