Arrowhead or Spearpoint? Experimental Analysis of Impact Traces on Slotted Bone Points With Microblade Insets

Summary Slotted bone points likely originated in Palaeolithic traditions and evolved into efficient, reusable Mesolithic hunting weapons optimized for reliability and increased bleeding, reducing the risk of hunting failure. Such bone points were long debated as either spear tips or arrowheads, but earlier interpretations lacked reliable criteria. A newly conducted experiment show they function effectively as arrowheads when mounted on appropriate shafts and fired with bows of realistic Mesolithic draw weight. Damage patterns on bone points and insets matches archaeological finds from Motala in south‐central Sweden. Microblade durability varied with the inset raw material, though penetration did not. The type of adhesive had minimal effect on performance. The design’s main advantage lies in its long cutting edges, which create larger wound channels than plain bone points.