Side-Notched Projectile Points
Native Americans made side-notched projectile points during the Archaic period for spears that were probably thrown with an atlatl. Points were made through controlled flaking, known as flintknapping, in which a stone, antler, or bone tool is used to remove small chips from a piece of stone, like the chert used in these points. On the coastal plain, where stone is rare, flintknappers would have had to trade for, or travel long distances to get, the stone used to make projectile points and other stone tools.
Atlatl
The atlatl is a spear-thrower used during the Archaic period between 10,000 and 5,000 years ago by ancestors of the Waccamaw Indian People. The atlatl not only increases the distance a spear can be thrown, but also increases velocity and accuracy, greatly improving hunting efficiency over spears thrown by hand. The atlatl was used to throw spears for hunting animals like deer, bear, bison, and maybe even alligators!