Projectile point · Neolithic
Leaf-shaped arrowhead
4000–2500 BCE, Funnelbeaker
Leaf-shaped arrowheads are the standard Early and Middle Neolithic point of Britain, Ireland and the north European plain, contemporary with causewayed enclosures, long barrows and the Funnelbeaker culture. Most are 20–50 mm long and only 2–5 mm thick, with fine invasive pressure flaking that covers both faces. British examples are often found on ploughed fields near chalk downland; the finest ogival examples are collected as much for their craftsmanship as their age.
| Object | Projectile point |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4000–2500 BCE |
| Period | Neolithic |
| Cultures | Funnelbeaker |
| Regions | Europe — Northern & British Isles, Europe — Western & Central |
Diagnostic traits
A small thin bifacially flaked flint point with a pointed tip, convex sides and a rounded or pointed base, with no notches, barbs or tang.
Identification
The absence of any hafting notch or tang separates it from the later barbed-and-tanged arrowhead of the Bell Beaker and Bronze Age. A Mesolithic microlith is smaller, made on a bladelet and retouched only on the edges rather than across both faces. Kite-shaped and lozenge forms are variants, not separate types, with angular rather than rounded outlines.
Reproductions and fakes
Replica leaf points from modern flint are common, usually too regular and too thick; genuine pieces show a patina of the same tone across all scars and often minute tip damage from use. Reworked broken Neolithic bifaces sold as complete points can be spotted by fresh flaking that cuts through older patina.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Leaf-shaped arrowhead" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/leaf-shaped-arrowhead. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-leaf-shaped-arrowhead,
title = {Leaf-shaped arrowhead},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/leaf-shaped-arrowhead}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.