The cross bow and arrow was one of the most important weapons used by the Native American Indians. They were exceptionally skilled at constructing these weapons. The Indian Arrowheads in particular were meticulously crafted out of a variety of different materials. Amongst the different materials used for the construction of arrowheads was glass. Indian glass arrowheads are much sought after by Native American art and artifacts collectors.
The arrowhead is basically the front point of the arrow which is shaped like a triangle. Arrowheads are not the same as projectile points although they are classified as a subclass of the former. Archaeologists have been able to unearth native Indian glass arrowheads in a number of different locations across America. The glass arrowheads were one of the more exquisite ones produced by the native Indians. This is why they are more difficult to find because compared to the metal, bone and wooden arrowheads they were produced in a much smaller quantity. Chert, Flint and obsidian were also amongst the commonly used materials for producing arrowheads.
The Native Americans had their own set of special handmade tools that they would use to carve glass arrowheads. They would make use of broken glass and carve the arrowheads into shape using notching and flaking tools amongst others. Today you will be able to find Indian glass arrowheads showcased in many different museums across the world. They are also sold at auctions where collectors can get their hands on a historical set of glass arrowheads excavated from an archaeological site from different places in America.
An alternate to purchasing Indian glass arrowheads is learning how to make them your self at home. You can do this using any conventional glass bottle. However you will need to exercise a great deal of caution because for making the glass arrowheads you will have to break the bottle and work with the sharp and edgy broken glass. Glass is not the only thing you will require to make these arrowheads yourself. You will need a set of tools including a hammer stone, notching tool, pressure flaker, abrading stone and a leather Palm pad. In order to protect your eyes it is recommended that you put on a pair of goggles.
The kind of glass that you select also plays an important role when looking to make your own Indian glass arrowheads. Colored glass is generally preferred to clear glass as it is easier to work with and the final product looks better as well. You should select a bottle with a flat bottom and preferably one without embossed markings.
The elaborate process begins with breaking the bottle making sure that the bottom of the bottle remains intact because this is what you will be working with. Next you have to clean the pieces of glass hanging from the bottom after which you will start working with the glass piece to make a bifacial edge which you will shape using a notch tool.