Concordia salus: Becoming Brass Projectiles

North American brass projectile points conjure a variety of archaeological narratives. Depending on the interpreter and the context of interpretation, they serve as evidence for: simplistic replacement of local traditions by technologically superior European-introduced materials; the homogenizing fo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of archaeological method and theory 2024-03, Vol.31 (1), p.287-310
Main Author: Cipolla, Craig N.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anthropocentrism
Anthropology
Archaeology
Capitalism
Habits
Lithic
Narratives
Permutations
Social Sciences
Traditions
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Summary:North American brass projectile points conjure a variety of archaeological narratives. Depending on the interpreter and the context of interpretation, they serve as evidence for: simplistic replacement of local traditions by technologically superior European-introduced materials; the homogenizing forces of global capitalism; nuanced and complicated Indigenous-colonial histories; and/or Indigenous survivance and adaptability. Irrespective of the narratives that they inspire, however, brass projectiles remain under-studied and under-theorized in North American archaeology. This paper addresses this dearth by analyzing and rethinking a large museum assemblage of brass projectile points from Ontario. The analysis offers insights into the variability and history of brass projectiles, specifically as they relate to lithic traditions. The brass assemblage under consideration points to the significance of New Materialist perspectives on relationality, on post-anthropocentrism, and on change and history. Whereas archaeological habits tend to characterize North American brass projectiles as permutations of “old” plus “new” with minimal engagement with the objects themselves, this paper thinks with brass points, seeking out new angles of understanding that recognize their novelty.
ISSN:1072-5369
1573-7764
DOI:10.1007/s10816-023-09606-9