Archaeology Solutrean Arrowhead

Following the extinction of the Neanderthals, Gorham's Cave was left uninhabited for a long period until the arrival of new settlers around 20,000 years ago. These were Modern Humans and carried a technology and culture known today as Solutrean. One of the main characteristics of this culture were stone spear points and arrowheads, having achieved a highly functional design thanks to a combination of direct precision and retouches with the application of pressure. This technique was performed using a soft hammer, mainly deer antler although a hardwood stick may have sufficed, applying pressure on the edges and projecting the force of the extraction towards the internal side of the flake. The objective was the creation of a slender point with great aerodynamic and penetration capacity (B). These points were later hafted on shafts to complete the spear or arrow. The hafting was carried out using natural resins as adhesive, obtained through the distillation of tree bark, or minerals such as bitumen. Once the stone point was inserted into a notch in the wooden shaft and the adhesive applied, it would have been reinforced using rope or animal sinew (C).