Artifact of the Week: Projectile Points
These projectile points may have been attached to spears or throwing darts. They are too large and heavy for arrows. Spears were frequently used with atlatls, or throwing sticks, which significantly increased the distance and force of the point. The…
Artifact of the Week: Flakes
Stone tools, or lithics, are the most common artifacts found at local prehistoric sites. There are two general lithic tool classifications in San Diego County: chipped stone and ground stone. The flakes above are examples of chipped stone. The best…
Artifact of the Week: Scrapers and Choppers
During the Middle Holocene, local inhabitants heavily utilized coastal resources. Scrapers and choppers were very useful tools for processing shellfish, cutting wood, and smashing animal bone. Most stone choppers and scrapers from the La Jolla Tradition are made of quartzite.…
Artifact of the Week: Stone Bowls
These stone bowls were found underwater many miles off shore. Their exact use is not known, but they indicate that the people of the Middle Holocene had ocean going boats. These bowls date to the La Jolla Tradition. During this…
