Bone Arrow Points Manufacturing in Prehispanic Sierras de Córdoba, Argentina

ABSTRACT Bone raw material was crucial for diverse activities during the Late Prehispanic Period of the Sierras de Córdoba (~1220–330 cal BP, Argentina). Still, publications dealing specifically with bone technology were scarce for decades. This research presents a technological analysis of the manufacturing techniques used in producing bone arrow points, one of the most numerous bone tool types generated by the people with a mixed foraging and cultivation economy who inhabited this neighboring Andes low‐altitude mountain range. The study assumes that the carefully planned bone projectile points represent a manufacturing tradition characteristic of a specific time period over a wide geographical area. The aim is to identify the raw material chosen and the process of obtaining bone arrow points by studying a museum collection that originated from the Southern Punilla Valley. The specimens were examined using the technological approach, which included the finished projectile points and any by‐products of the production process. Results indicated that the preferred skeletal part was Lama sp. metapodials, which were divided into smaller, workable blanks through longitudinal splitting using direct percussion and transverse cutting. Then, blanks were regularized or flattened by grinding on an abrasive stone surface. Further whittling and scraping were used to shape the preforms into symmetrical arrowheads. Final treatment included smoothing and bright polishing, creating a shiny surface that overlaps previous manufacturing traces. Despite the complex collection history, the assemblage provided reliable data on the main characteristics of raw material management and technological procedures within the Late Prehispanic Period bone industry. Further comparison with other archaeological assemblages from South America may help identify why specific skeletal parts and manufacturing methods were selected for making bone arrow points. This could offer insights into the implications of various alternatives and trace critical areas for future research.