Late Pleistocene-Early Holocene Fishtail Points from Southernmost Patagonia (South America): An Estimation of Use-Life Using Experimental Data and Survival Curve Models

ABSTRACT We report the first results of a shooting experiment performed with lithic point replicas of Fishtail points hafted as darts pursuing the aim to estimate the points’ use-lives and related size changes using survival and risk models. A total of 555 successful shots were done, ranging from one to 146 shots and from zero to four resharpenings. The obtained results suggest that Fishtail points have a long use life, with a median of 15 shots and most of them withstanding between three and four resharpenings. Survival and risk models note that point survival is significantly correlated to maximum point width and stem neck width. This opens new questions about longevity and survival probability of Fishtail points, offering empirical information to evaluate hunting strategies and comparative advantages in the use of different point technologies in the prehistory of southern Patagonia.