Morphological and functional variability in triangular projectile points in the Piedmont Southeast, 1300–1600 CE

ABSTRACT Triangular arrowheads are overwhelmingly the dominant projectile point form across eastern North America from 600 to 1600 CE. Although triangular points have been studied less than earlier technologies, important research has been conducted over the last 25 years on their morphology, function, and temporal relationships. One important observation from reading these works is that there is noticeable variability within the triangular form both between and within regions. However, this variability has not been studied extensively by quantitative means. In this research, we examine a collection of 199 points from two Piedmont Siouan sites in the upper Yadkin River valley dating to 1300–1600 CE. We analyzed seven discrete attributes using discriminant function analysis and found quantitative support for the contemporaneous existence of the three forms and evidence of changes in morphology over time. We follow this with an examination of the context and breakage patterns of these types to discuss their roles in social, political, and economic activities. We then compare our results to those from other areas of eastern North America to address why such variability and changes over time may have occurred.