Veteran flintknapper Richard Poirier has been practicing the art of flintknapping for over 30 years. Working with a variety of materials, including the rare Variegated Jaspar from Berks County, Rich will demonstrate how to use percussion flaking techniques to reduce raw stone to produce tools and sharp projectile points, such as spear points and arrowheads. He will talk about the many different point types from east of the Mississippi, such as the Susquehanna Broad, Oriental Fishtail, Dog Leg Bevel, and Fractured Base Point, and will demonstrate how each of these points was made. Native American people produced the finest flint and jasper projectiles and blades in the world. “These prehistoric artists are the inspiration for modern day flintknappers.” Rich is a member of Flintknappers.com, a group of highly skilled flintknappers that specialize in replicating stone tools and creating lithic art.
Rich will also discuss the technology and history of the atlatl spear thrower, a highly specialized and effective hunting tool developed by indigenous peoples during the Archaic Period, and he will demonstrate its use.
