Prehistoric Oregon Arrow SOLD

This arrow is a reconstruction based on arrow fragments found in caves along the Deschutes River in northern Oregon and could be associated with the Tenino, Wasco or Wishrum tribes. These arrows were tipped with exquisite multi-component points of wood and bone.  Although we don't know what game they were used for, it's speculated these were used for hunting bighorn sheep.  

This arrow has a mainshaft of split western red cedar.  The foreshaft is serviceberry and then a hand carved and painted wooden point of Pacific yew is attached to the tip with deer sinew.  Then a matching bone point was hand carved and painted and attached to the tip of the wooden point with sinew. The red painted areas on both points were painstakingly hand carved so they're recessed just like they were on the original points.  The fletch is Canada goose wing feathers that have been secured with sinew and then glued to the shaft with hide glue.  The sinew wrappings were painted with black charcoal paint, and the paint design under the feathers matches the design of an original arrow.  It was also painted with crushed charcoal and earth pigment. This arrow is one of the most time consuming arrows I've ever replicated, and it's the detailed arrow points that take considerably more time to make than the arrow shaft itself.    

Exactly why the prehistoric Native hunters of northern Oregon made such exquisite points is a mystery.  A stone point would have been quicker and much easier to make, and would have been much easier to replace.  But there was obvious cultural influence in that region and it shows up in the artifacts they left behind.  These arrow points aren't an anomoly...numerous examples of those tiny bone points have been uneartherd in rockshelters and caves in the region of northern Oregon.  The detail and workmanship is incredible, and it reveals a lifestyle of abundant food and free time.  This arrow is a gorgeous reproduction of a unique and almost unknown type of arrow from the Deschutes River of northern Oregon.  Click photos for larger images.

Arrow Specs: Main shaft of split western red cedar, serviceberry foreshaft, points of pacific yew and bone.  All wrappings are deer sinew.  32 1/2 inches long.

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