Large Laurel Leaf Point
Hunting weapon or knife
Solutrean
25 000 to 23 000 years
While certain laurel-leaf points likely served as knives or even end scrapers, our current understanding of their exact function is almost none existent.
P.E.L. Smith, Le Solutréen en France, Bordeaux, Delmas, 1966.
Commentary :
A large range of projectile points and knives appeared during the Solutrean
The highly regular and symmetrical large laurel-leaf points, differ from other weapon elements in their elaborate manufacture by percussion. At the same time, their large size and thin cross-section can make them too fragile for common uses.
Whether they are used to hunt large animals or for butchery, they above all represent the outcome of a long tradition of flint knapping, and are probably the work of highly skilled artisans.
Large laurel-leaf points are a visual and aesthetic symbol of the cultural uniqueness of the quintessential Solutrean hunters.