Validating chronograph photo sensor measurement accuracy of stone-tipped projectile velocity

Abstract The experimental assessment of prehistoric stone-tipped projectile weapons is a productive research area in experimental archaeology. The measurement of projectile velocity in these experiments is vital for establishing validity, ensuring control, and facilitating data analysis. Many studies have made use of the chronograph to measure stone-tipped projectile velocity, but this practice has never been formally tested. This is problematic because chronographs were not designed for such projectiles, which are different in their size, shape, and materials than modern projectiles. Here we assess chronograph measurement accuracy of stone-tipped projectile velocity by employing two control datasets: bullets and modern arrows. We predicted that if the chronograph accurately measured stone-tipped projectile velocity, then kinetic energy values of a modern arrow and a stone-tipped arrow fired from the same compound bow would be similar. Our analysis confirmed this to be the case. However, our analysis unexpectedly revealed that questions regarding chronograph measurement precision remain.