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They made spears from tree branches that were as straight as they could find. The smaller branches were removed from the main branch, and then the bark was removed. To make the shaft more straight it was held over a fire until the wood started to sizzle like a sausage, then pressure was applied to straighten it out. After straightening, it was laid flat to dry. I know that Indians used arrow straighteners made from bone or wood to straighten arrow shafts, and they may have used larger straighteners for spear shafts. After straightening the spear shaft and letting it dry, a notch was cut into the larger end of the shaft and the point inserted. Hide glue or pitch made from hardwood trees and charcoal was also sometimes used as a glue to aid in holding the the point in the shaft. After the pitch or hide glue dried, wet sinew, then wet rawhide lace was wrapped tightly around the shaft and the point to hold it in place. When sinew and rawhide dry it shrinks and it secures the spear point in place. Native Americans then may have applied heat to the rawhide to make it even tighter, but I am not sure. I do know that rawhide shields are made by heating rawhide underneath a fire to make it shrink and thicken and made tougher.

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13y ago
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12y ago

In the Ceramic-Woodland period (300 AD to about 1676 AD) spears were a rarity among the woodlands tribes, often being carried only by chiefs and leading warriors - the major weapons were clubs and bows until firearms were introduced by Europeans.

Before they had access to metal brought by the Europeans, spear points were made of stone such as chert or flint, or even bone. Many so-called "stone spear heads" seen in museums today are actually stone knives.

Shafts could come from many types of hardwood tree, usually second-growth saplings that were tall, straight and narrow. These had to be seasoned and straightened before being notched at the front end to take the stone point - the notch could be made with the tooth of a beaver mounted in a wooden handle, or with a narrow stone blade. This could be set in place using pine resin and a binding of wet rawhide, which shrinks as it dries to create a very strong bond.

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Q: How did wampanoag Indians make spears?
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