Arrowheads such as these are shaped using a technique called flint snapping, which has been used to created tools as early as the neolithic era and more recently in flintlock firearms. Native American arrowheads were used particularly in the Stone Age, and when making arrowheads, Native Americans chose stones that could be easily chipped and sharpened.
According to Elsipogtog Elders Gary Augustine and Mona Robers, these were likely hunting arrowheads rather than fishing arrowheads, which were smaller and broader in shape.
Most arrowheads were made from various stones such as flints, obsidian, and chert; however, wooden and metallic ones have also been found. The piece was then pressure chipped using a sharpened deer or elk antler to get the final product to the right shape, size and sharpness. However, this technique was not just used for making projectile weapons, but also for everyday uses. Microscopic research into damage along the edges of found tools has shown that some of the stone tools that look like projectile points may have been hafted cutting tools, rather than for propelling into animals.