#aFactADay2026
#1861: one of the current prevailing hypotheses for the flutes at the bottom of Clovis points is the "shock absorber" hypothesis: basically, the base became more fragile because it was thinned to a narrow edge, the edge against which it was hafted (lashed to a shaft, for example in a groove). when you make a hit with the point, the bottom absorbs the stress and crumbles a little - rather than the whole thing shattering.
people did a lot of tests on period-accurate replicas (you can get your own solidworks data here haha), and it's (most probably) true that these do indeed absorb shock, and probably indeed increased the lifespan of the Clovis points. which would've been some of the most valuable and useful possessions at the time.
but it's difficult to prove that this was why people chose to go out of their way to make these fluted bases... we have no archeological record of lashings, bindings, haftings, or anything, so we don't know how these were truly used.
