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World's Largest Collection of Ancient Arrowheads

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Native American arrowheads. An arrow consists of a long and thin shaft made formerly of wood and now also from aluminium or carbon fiber composite. It is pointed or armed with an arrowhead at one end and with a nock or notch in the other. Arrowheads fit hunting and military purpose better than a mere point, which is mostly useful for target-shooting. The main type of arrowheads used in medieval periods for battle purposes were broadhead, swallowtail, bodkin, and pitch and tar arrows for setting fire to the fields enemies were attacking on. Near the notch end are vanes which keep the arrow pointed in the direction of travel. There are often three vanes but many fletchings have four or even more. They were originally made from feathers bound to the arrow's shaft, but are now often made of plastic.

The arrow is pointed or armed with an arrowhead or "point" at one end and with a nock or notch in the other. The nock serves to keep the arrow in place on the string as the bow is being drawn. Arrowheads fit hunting and military purpose better than a mere point, which is mostly useful for target-shooting because it is smaller and therefore more aerodynamic, allowing for faster speeds and a flatter trajectory. The main type of arrowheads used in medieval periods for battle purposes were broadhead, swallowtail, and bodkin. Pitch and tar arrows were also used for setting fire to the fields enemies were attacking on. A modern broadhead arrow has somewhere between two and six razor-sharp blades which are about an inch or an inch and a half long. Some broad heads have mechanisms which keep the blades inside the shaft until contact is made to decrease air resistance. The killing power of an arrow comes from its ability to slice through organs and major arteries and veins; the victim often dies as a result of blood loss. A shot which strikes a limb at a major blood vessel can be just as lethal as a shot to a major organ if a tourniquet is not immediately applied.

Near the notch end are vanes parallel to the shaft which keep the arrow pointed in the direction of travel by strongly damping down any tendency to pitch or yaw. There are often three vanes but many fletchings have four or even more. They were originally made from feathers (often from a Goose or Turkey) bound to the arrow's shaft, but are now often made of plastic. Vanes can be anywhere from two to six inches in length.

Artisans who make arrows by hand are known as "fletchers," a word related to the French word for arrow, flèche. To fletch an arrow means to provide it with its vanes.
As an arrow flies toward its target, its shaft will bend and flex from side to side, almost like a fish swimming through water.