38.25.1, 38.25.2, two spear points
Copper
Central Ohio, probably Woodlands culture (post-800 B.C.)
Deeds Collection
Photograph by B. Bernard
The prehistoric inhabitants of eastern North America
cold-hammered native copper
to create weapons, other tools, and ornaments. These two examples
appear to be spear points, but other functions cannot be ruled out.
When such an item is found in its original context, as part of an
excavation by trained individuals, the surrounding objects (or even
the earth itself) can yield clues as to the item's exact function.
When such items come to museums with no information about their
original context, as is often the case with private collections,
it is far more difficult to understand how an object was used, or
how it fit in with the rest of a prehistoric society.
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