Here is my idea of what a Clovis Culture mammoth spear may have looked like. I stated out with a 6' main shaft and added the fore shaft and contemporary
spearhead attached with a peg and socket junction. Both the main shaft and fore shaft were made from yaupon wood.
The first bow and arrow set is a basic plains Indian type with the bow being made from western juniper. The quiver is made from raw deer hide. The second bow and arrow set are more on the order of the Caddo type with the bow made from Osage Orange. The quiver is made from alligator skin.
The Osage Orange, Maclura pomifera is also known as Bois D'Arc which is French for "wood of the arc" or "bow wood"; you know those French, they've got a different word for everything. The folks around here call it bodark.............I grew up calling them horse apple trees.
Well I be . we call them horse apple trees as well. Learn something everyday! Years ago I tried making a bow from the horse apple tree, your posting may inspire me to try again. Thanks
The peg & socket is well documented in the archaeologists findings, great to see a factual
reproduction.. I'm thinking it took far longer for them to fabricate the P & S than to knap the point...
The P & S also seems to have a plus in the fact that the flint was already hafted to use as a knife when it came time to cut up the kill ( and look inside for the other blades that stuck in the beast.)
I even like the choice of agressive animal picture for the package of deadly missiles !
Thank you all for your kind observations.
Arrow and spear shafts were by far the most valuable component of the weapons based on the time and labor involved in the manufacturing process. Selecting, cutting, debarking, drying. curing and straightening shafts was a lengthy process. I find it interesting that the least valuable to the Indian is the most valuable to us.