Variations in Arrow Technology: An Experimental Exploration of the Effectiveness of Fletching

Various projectile technologies have been explored by countless archaeologists, however fletching, a critical aspect of arrow design has not received nearly the same amount of attention. A number of reasons may account for this lack of research, perhaps most notably is the fact fletching does not present well within the archaeological record This paper gives some attention to the small amount of research done on fletching by archaeologists and then goes on to describe the production and effectiveness of fletching when added to the arrow. An experimental design was created that ultimately showed that parabolic fletching that most individuals are familiar with seems to be highly effective, in some sense showing that over time the technology was improved upon allowingfor maximum efficiency and distance