How would this be mounted?

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 1:50 am

An old friend was deaccessioning pieces from his collection and he gave me this item. He got it in Mexico city fifty years ago "when you could bring such things out."

It is generally a projectile point GROUND out of a piece of snowflake obsidian. As you can see there is no hole in the end. The tip is slightly damaged but looks like a modern chip. There are no modern tool marks under 10X magnification so I assume it is an authentic artifact.

How do you think this point was mounted? Please respond if you have an idea. -j-

Kviljo · Post by **Kviljo** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 3:02 am

Ornamental?

As it is ground, it must be less sharp than a pressure flaked one, and therefore it probably has had more of an ornamental function/status symbol, even if it was fitted to an arrow.

Do you know of other finds as this one? That would probably be the best way to determine how or what it was attatched to. If it was used as an arrow head, there should be lots of them.

Cool thing!

redhawk · Post by **redhawk** » Sun Dec 20, 2009 4:17 pm

This is not an arrowhead.
In Mexico it is since long times an old custom to wear these arrowhead- shaped talismans against the so called evil- eyes.
You can buy them nowadays everywhere in Mexico.

Michael

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 1:09 pm

This point would appear to date 600-800 years old, from the classic period of Mexico City. That would predate the Spanish arrival. As the evil eye is an old world idea, I am not sure this would apply.

Kviljo, I have seen other items like this but not from Mexico.

But the question remains how was it mounted? Doesn't anyone have an opinion on this? -j-

daryush · Post by **daryush** » Mon Dec 21, 2009 1:48 pm

How's this for a random suggestion?

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:42 pm

error

jack farrell · Post by **jack farrell** » Tue Dec 22, 2009 5:46 pm

Only three guesses and Daryush the only one to hazard a guess about the mounting of this point!

In my opinion this obsidian was mounted in a hole in the lip (a labret) or a hole in the earlobe, an ear plug. The only comparable I could find was a painting by Catlin of an Indian with arrows stuck through his earlobes.

I was sure someone would recognize it. A PhD head of archaeology department also did not recognize it. Guess that is why it was free. Later.-j-

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Wed Dec 23, 2009 5:43 am

Jack,
I think your idea is the best. When you consider some modern fashions, I am surprised no one has tried this themselves.

Boghadair · Post by **Boghadair** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:53 pm

Bede,
clearly you haven't been to any NYC clubs lately!

Boghadair

Bede · Post by **Bede** » Mon Dec 28, 2009 12:12 am

Using arrowhead shapes? Wouldn't kissing be complicated?