Dart or Spear Points of the Earliest Inhabitants of the Strait of Belle Isle.
The ages of these five artifacts span the years between about 9,000 and 6,500 years ago. Along with small scrapers and knives also made from chipped stone, these projectile points constitute virtually the sole evidence of the earliest people in the province. They are arranged here to illustrate one of the ways in which archaeologists use artifacts to detect connections between prehistoric peoples. While the projectile points on the extreme right and left hardly resemble each other, the three in the centre show how small changes in the shape of the blade, the stem, and other features take place over time. These minute variations and developments indicate that the people who chipped the most recent example (on the far right) were descended from those who created the earliest form (on the far left).
Courtesy: Newfoundland Museum, Memorial University of Newfoundland
