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THREE SIDED POINTS
NEOLITHIC PERIOD & LATE STONE AGE
NORTHERN EUROPE & PANAMA
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Three Sided point from northern Europe.
THREE SIDED BLADE POINT
ISLAND OF LOLLAND, DENMARK
PRIVATE COLLECTION

Three Sided points abstract images.

THREE SIDED POINTS
NORTHERN EUROPE & PANAMA
NEOLITHIC PERIOD AND LATE STONE AGE

   This article illustrates and describes two different forms of three sided flaked stone projectile points made on blades. One variety is found in northern Europe and dates to the Neolithic period. The other is found in the country of Panama and dates to the Late Stone Age. They are unique because they have three sides and are triangular in cross-section. Almost all other flaked stone projectile points in the world have two sides.

    "The unique character of the arrow points of Chiriqui (northern Panama) is already known to archaeologists. The most striking feature is the triangular section presented in nearly all cases."---1889, William H. Holmes.

Three sided points from Europe and Panama.
THREE SIDED BLADE POINTS
NORTHERN EUROPE AND PANAMA

THREE SIDED POINTS

    Stone Age cultures throughout the world have produced an endless variety of different styles of stone projectile points. Their quality of craftsmanship varies from simple edge trimmed flakes to points that were made by complex multi-stepped manufacturing techniques. The majority of all stone projectile points have two sides. They are either bifacially flaked (flaked on both sides), unifacial (flaked on one side only) or just simple edged trimmed flakes. The two varieties illustrated in this article are unique for their three sided form.

Three sided blade point from Panama.
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR LARGE TRIPLE IMAGE

THREE SIDED POINT
LATE STONE AGE
PANAMA
PRIVATE COLLECTION

   This three sided point from Panama is uniformly flaked on all three sides. Two of the edges have barbs that flair outward near the stemmed base. This is a large heavy duty projectile point that probably once tipped the end of a spear that would have been thrown by an atlatl (spear thrower). It is made from yellow jasper and measures 3 5/8 inches (9.2 cm) long and 1 1/8 inches (2.8 cm) wide and 7/8 inch (2.2 cm) thick.

  The three sided points illustrated in this article were made from flakes struck from prepared cores. The Neolithic examples from northern Europe were made from flakes struck from highly developed cores. The three sided points from Panama seem to be struck from less developed cores. They tend to be much thicker and vary much more in width than the European forms.

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"REFERENCES"

1889, Holmes, William H., "Ancient Art of the Province of Chiriqui (Panama)," Vol. 14, Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, p. 34.
1952, Glob, P.V. "Danish Antiquities, II Late Stone Age," pp. 102-103.

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