Arrowheads were made from various kinds of stone but flint was considered the best not only because the "Grain" in flint is easier to chip than most other hard rocks. The favorite tool for chipping arrowheads into shape was deer horn. A piece of rock was first broken into smaller pieced by using a hammer stone, then the most likely piece was shaped into arrowheads by chipping away with a smaller hammer stone and with deer horns.
Spear points were made similar to arrowheads, only larger in size and somewhat different shape to it. Some spears were made of hard woofd and the wooden point sharpened and hardened in a fire.
Stone weapons, tomahawks, and battle hammers were made from rocks of right shape by sharpening one edge and grinding a groove around the stone using other harder stones. The groove was made so that the stone could be bound to a handle with rawhide. Other hammers and ax-type weapons were also used--sometimes a wood "burl" or knot in a root or branch with a convenient handle made a good battle ax.
Cherokees also used blowguns, generally for small game, but occasionally for warfare. Blowguns were from three to eight or nine feet long, with darts made of hard woods with the "fluff" or rear end of the dart made from thistledown to center the dart in the blowgun. This would form a seal so that wind pressure (From blowing) behind the dart would send it through the barrel at a great speed. These were very accurate at short distances. In wartime, if darts were used, they were generally poisoned, sometimes by getting a poisonous snake to bite into a piece of spoiled meat and dipping the darts into the poisoned meat. Certain plant juices were also used for poisons. |
