Exercises: How was novaculite used?
After exploring the “How Was Novaculite Used in the Past?” page:
- A sample of projectile points from archeological sites in the Saline River Valley has been coded for type and raw material by Vanessa Hanvey and volunteers at the Arkansas Archeological Survey’s HSU Research Station. Using this data, analyze novaculite use through time.
- Middle school students: What proportion of points in this sample are made from novaculite? What proportion are made from chert?
Identified Projectile Points in AAS/HSU Collections, Borderlands Project: Type Cultural Period Material Count Lanceolate Paleoindian novaculite 2 Dalton Late Paleo/Early Archaic novaculite 2 Big Sandy Middle Archaic novaculite 10 Calf Creek Middle Archaic novaculite 1 Darl Middle Archaic novaculite 7 Johnson Middle Archaic novaculite 19 Rice Lobed Middle Archaic novaculite 3 Rice Lobed Middle Archaic chert 1 Hidden Valley Middle/Late Archaic novaculite 1 Jones Creek Middle/Late Archaic novaculite 2 Marshall Middle/Late Archaic novaculite 2 Bulverde Late Archaic novaculite 9 Evans Late Archaic novaculite 3 Motley Late Archaic novaculite 1 Palmillas Late Archaic novaculite 7 Williams Late Archaic novaculite 8 Yarborough Late Archaic novaculite 1 Yarborough Late Archaic chert 1 Gary Late Archaic/Woodland novaculite 18 Gary Late Archaic/Woodland chert 1 Gary var. Gary Late Archaic/Early Woodland novaculite 11 Carrollton Early/Middle Woodland novaculite 4 Gary var. LeFlore Early/Middle Woodland novaculite 15 Gary var. LeFlore Early/Middle Woodland chert 1 Gary var. Camden Middle/Late Woodland novaculite 14 Scallorn Late Woodland/Early Mississippian novaculite 4 Alba Early Mississippian novaculite 2 Bonham Early/Middle Mississippian novaculite 1 Bassett/Perdiz Middle Mississippian novaculite 4 Keota Middle Mississippian novaculite 2 Young Middle/Late Mississippian novaculite 1 Maud Late Mississippian novaculite 1 Maud var. Hopper Late Mississippian novaculite 15 Maud var. Maud Late Mississippian novaculite 9
- High school students: Set up a spreadsheet with column headings for cultural period, number of novaculite points, number of chert points, and total points. After entering data from each group of sites on the rows, look at the popularity of novaculite use through time. What time periods are represented by the most points? Write a paragraph interpreting your results.
- Archeologists make a distinction between larger points that tipped darts and smaller points that were used on arrows.
Measured Novaculite Points in AAS/HSU Collections, Borderlands Project: Site No. Type Cultural Period Length, cm Width, cm Thickness, cm 3SA0011 Bassett/Perdiz Middle Mississippian 2 1.4 0.5 3SA0011 Gary var. Camden Middle/Late Woodland 5.8 2.3 0.8 3SA0011 Keota Middle Mississippian 2.1 1.4 0.3 3SA0011 Maud var. Hopper Late Mississippian 2.2 1.3 0.3 3SA0011 Maud var. Hopper Late Mississippian 3.1 1.1 0.4 3SA0011 Maud var. Hopper Late Mississippian 2.3 1.4 0.4 3SA0011 Maud var. Hopper Late Mississippian 2.9 1.3 0.3 3SA0011 Maud var. Hopper Late Mississippian 2.4 1.2 0.3 3SA0011 Maud var. Hopper Late Mississippian 3.2 1.7 0.4 3SA0011 Maud var. Maud Late Mississippian 2.7 1 0.4 3SA0011 Maud var. Maud Late Mississippian 2.5 1.4 0.4 3SA0011 Maud var. Maud Late Mississippian 2.6 1.4 0.4 3SA0019 Gary var. Camden Middle/Late Woodland 4.7 2.3 0.8 3SA0074 Rice Lobed Middle Archaic 5.3 2.9 0.9 3SA0153 Alba Early Mississippian 2.8 1.6 0.5 3SA0153 Gary var. Camden Middle/Late Woodland 6.1 1.9 0.7 3SA0153 Rice Lobed Middle Archaic 4.8 2.5 0.5 3SA0153 Williams Late Archaic 4.3 3.3 0.8 3SA0295 Gary var. LeFlore Early/Middle Woodland 7.3 4.1 1.2
- Middle and High school students: Put the point measurements into a spreadsheet, and create scatterplots comparing point length and width, length and thickness, and width and thickness. Are there two identifiable size groupings that you can identify as dart points and arrow points?
Suggested citation format for this website:
Arkansas Archeological Survey 2016 "Arkansas Novaculite: A Virtual Comparative Collection."
http://archeology.uark.edu/novaculite/index.html (accessed January 15, 2016).
We welcome comments and feedback from you! For further information on this website, please contact Mary Beth Trubitt, Arkansas Archeological Survey, mtrubit@uark.edu.
This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Copyright 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 Arkansas Archeological Survey
A Division of the University of Arkansas System
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Fayetteville, AR 72704
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