Knappers and archeologists.... Advice / Identification needed!!

[x101airborne]

My father found this stone slab and this "scraper" or at least that is what we think it is...... together in a field after disking. We showed it to a lot of people and no one has any idea what it is or why they were together. If anyone has any questions or ideas... I would like to hear em. Anyone have any idea what the heck they are? The shaped "scraper" seems too thin to be an axe, but I dont know. They both appear to be made of the same piece of flint as they almost fit perfectly together.http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754edaa3d286af1.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2860)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754edaa3fd8a28f.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2861)

[x101airborne]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754edaa43d49edc.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2862)

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_155754edaa4655a231.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2863)

[fishhawk]

could be a hide scraper when they tanned hide's

[x101airborne]

That is what we thought.... but we have never found anything like it in any common historical record. That thing is shaped truely uniquely. Nothing even close. And yes, it is definately sharp enough. Even after probably 200 years in the dirt.

[waksupi]

I think the bottom picture is just scrap, and the top is most likely a hand axe. Too big for a hide scraper, I believe.

[wallenba]

Could it be a 'Mother' stone that other tools were knapped from? Or do the edges look like they did work.

[x101airborne]

And with our limited resources, we were never able to find a reference to a literal "hand axe" of that shape / size. Stumped again. and if it was a hand axe, why is it so sharp where one would grab it? Was it an early meat cleaver? Deadly sharp to be sure. Combat axe? And if the other is scrap, they sure did a lot of knapping on it for scrap. And why would scrap be ported around with the finished product? All good options and opinions though.. Keep em coming.

[x101airborne]

Could it be a 'Mother' stone that other tools were knapped from? Or do the edges look like they did work.


It may have been. I dont see where there were any working edges. More like a "mother" or maybe a anvil type stone. It sure was purposely rounded.

[Mooseman]

i believe you found 2 tools...a Unifacial scraper and the one with the protrusion is a perforator (possible a drill) used as a Leather punch for lacing hides.
Nice score !
Rich

[x101airborne]

i believe you found 2 tools...a Unifacial scraper and the one with the protrusion is a perforator (possible a drill) used as a Leather punch for lacing hides.
Nice score !
Rich


While I wont rule anything out.... This implement is way too thin and sharp on all edges for use as a punch. What is a unifacial scraper? I have never heard the term and would like to learn. Thanks.

[Mooseman]

I have some Anastazi drill points that look so fragile you would not believe they would work but they did. They were used to push a hole thru wet skins (leather) for lacing. The drill part is about an inch long , less than 1/4 " wide and maybe .040 to .050 thick. and the tip is sharp as a razor.
The unifacial scraper has scraping edges all the way around , hence the name. Used for scraping flesh and hair off hides for making leather.
I have been on digs with archaeologists in Florida doing excavations and have seen similar tools from the dig that were unearthed. You found what is called a "Kit" when you find 2 or more tools together. It was probably in a skin pouch when it was lost.
The protrusion tool would be used to push a lacing slit in the green hide for stretching the hide for tanning / drying , usually done over a low smoky fire on a frame made of branches or small poles and laced to it, or for sewing it into something useable after it was Tanned and smoked.
Here is a link you can look at some pics...http://archnet.asu.edu/archives/lithic/tools/tools.html
Rich

[Mooseman]

Here is a Nice link to Texas Stone tools....http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/theme/tools/gallery.html

Rich

[Boerrancher]

Here is my take, and with out seeing what else was around the area, like flint chips, I would say that the "scraper" piece is actually a blank, and the other piece is a spall that was being worked down into a blank. When the Indians would find a raw material source, or even a large chunk of flint, they would spall it out, and quickly work it into blanks. The blanks would then be transported back home and later be made into points and blades. It made it easier than having to pack around a huge rock.

A good knapper could knock a spall off of a hunk of flint and knock out a blank that size in a matter of a couple minutes. I have found pieces like that at several quarry sites. If there was not an over abundance of evidence of quarrying, and only a small amount of flakes in the area, then it is possible that the Indian either ran out of room to carry that piece and didn't bother to finish the spall, or got distracted, sat them down and didn't come back for them.

Many Indians, carried a shoulder bag, even before the introduction to the bow and arrow. In the bag you would generally find several fore shafts for the atlatl dart, or a smaller bag with extra arrowheads and a few pine pitch glue dobbers. There would also be an extra knife blade or two, some cordage of some sort, and a small knapping kit usually consisting of a hammer stone and an antler tool or two. This small knapping tool kit would allow then to resharpen their existing points and blades if damaged, and also make blanks if they came across an easy to get to flint source.

Hope this helps,

Joe

[x101airborne]

Thanks to everyone who replied. I am certainly more educated than I was. Is this something rare enough to be put in a museum? Or is this one of those....eh.... things?

[x101airborne]

Something I never put together till now..... I sure hope we somehow didn't accidentally disturb the ol'boys grave. Not that it would have been intentional, but I really like to let resting spirits rest.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

Perhaps you could check out the Overstreet Identification and Price Guide to Indian Arrowheads at the local library. It is quite comprehensive and you are likely to match up a description in the book with what you have. It is the arrowhead bible covering stone tools .

BvT

[Dean D.]

A great online source is: http://paleoplanet69529.yuku.com/forums/10

Great bunch of flint knapping folks over there, many of whom are very well informed on artifact identification.

[Bad Water Bill]

Something I never put together till now..... I sure hope we somehow didn't accidentally disturb the ol'boys grave. Not that it would have been intentional, but I really like to let resting spirits rest.

I would not loose to much sleep about that. As Joe said the bag could have been lost, put down while eating, chasing,cleaning game etc. As long as it is not a burial site you should be OK otherwise the antiquities act could get you in trouble.

Just remember the native Americans roamed this continent for thousands of years and yes even they lost valuable things as they moved from place to place.

[higgins]

With a magnifying glass, look for tiny secondary flaking on the inside curve, or straight curve for that matter, of large flakes. I used to spend a lot of time looking for arrowheads, and I hate to think how many flake scrapers I walked over and never picked up, or picked up and discarded when it wasn't an obvious point before I was aware of flake knives. When you pick up what looks like the base of a broken point, check it for flaking across the almost-flat end; you'll be surprised how many flake knives and reworked points you'll find.