Arrowhead
Unknown Artist
ca. 7500–4500 BCE (?)
Medium
Flint
Dimensions
1 x 0.56 in. (2.54 x 1.42 cm)
Classification
Stone-Implements
Period
Neolithic or Chalcolithic
Department
Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of H. Dunscombe Colt, 1953
Accession Number
53.151.11
Art Historical Context
This delicate flint arrowhead, dating to approximately 7500–4500 BCE, hails from the Neolithic or Chalcolithic periods in the Ancient Near East—a time of profound transition from nomadic hunter-gatherer societies early farming communities. Crafted by an unknown artisan, it exemplifies the stone tools that were essential for survival, likely serving as a projectile point for or spears used in hunting or defense. Its petite size— just 1 x 0.56 inches—highlights the remarkable precision achieved with basic materials in a pre-metal age. Flint, a hard, fine-grained sedimentary rock, was prized for...