Tools of Coarse Stone; part one

[meetmaker]

This selection of Coarse Stone Tools were all found for part of an assemblage I have been putting together( and bit by bit, posting) in 2011 from a site I call 200/15/5 acre site. These are all from the five acre part.
When the local pebble cherts did not meet their needs, these Ancients turned to readily available coarse stones. In the picture there are examples of tools made from sandstone, granites and others.
The three sandstone tools fit the description of "knives" but would have shown more utility as scrapers.
The large unifacial knife shows a couple of dings from use on its edge.

[meetmaker]

The smaller unifacial knife shows uniform edge wear. Rather than the edge being two convergent planes, the bottom plane has a nice radius from the squared tip all along the use side.

[meetmaker]

The third tool has a cross sectional profile of a triangle with the two edges of the hypotenuse being the working edges. This tool is slightly curved so as to provide both concave and convex scrapings edges. A section of the cross sectional triangle has been removed for comfort in the palm. Ugly as mud, these three tools are adequate for the need and perfectly ergonomic.

[meetmaker]

Tools of coarse stone; Granites. Granites, being hard and heavy and locally abundant provided material for tools. In a much earlier post " An Unusual Scraping Tool" I presented a "Heel of the Palm" tool of sandstone. Found in the 200/15/5 site a few years back, the wear on its edge led me to believe it was used on a soft consistent material like a hide. This granite heel of the palm tool I call a hoe because dings on its bit are consistent with encountering pebbles in dirt. I could plant peppers with this as easy as with the sawed off hoe I do use.

[meetmaker]

Multi-tools have always been popular. This one has a triangle in cross section boring bit at one end and and an effective cutting edge on the other end. A tool like this, effective and ergonomic, comfortable and ugly may just be an expedient artifact. Quickly crafted by a skilled artisan to fill a need and then tossed aside when used.

[meetmaker]

Few artifacts are as ugly as this tool which very remotely resembles a D-knife. Yet, in a strong grip, could easily rip flesh and turned, scrape also. Found with the multi-tool, I have felt that this and it were made for the same job, what ever that may have been.

[meetmaker]

Other Materials: The terminus of glaciations has wandered back and forth across the site I call 200/15/5 and has left a variety of material called glacial errata. The Ancients gleefully used these materials in lieu of cherts.
This round knife looks to be made of hornsblend. Now oxidized and covered in deposits it must have been something new, all sparkly and black. Most of these coarse stone tools were made to be used straight from the stone as struck, no retouch. This one shows signs of ( I can't say Flaking) being chipped and rechipped to shape. Please notice the pointy element on one side and the spokeshave on the opposite side. With cutting scraping edges all around this must have been a coveted beautiful tool.

[meetmaker]

This artifact is of a material unknown to me. Not limestone at all, much heavier and harder. Its' principle design seems to be that pointy element on top. When held like a dagger this fourteen ounce tool can deliver a whallopinng hit through that structurally sound tip of four converging planes. This might be useful for poking holes through thick hides. Bone and antler awls get so slippery when gory. Like many of these tools it can be gripped differently for different uses.

[meetmaker]

This tool on the left in the photo is of a material I don't recognize. It is not the limestone I thought it was, in the light it shows too much silica. When tapped it clinks like chert. Maybe a fossil coral? It is a rough flake much like that piece of flint to the right in the photo. That flint is part of site 200/15/5 's 2011 collection, chert portion. I hope some of the similarities between the two are visible in the photograph. Please notice the triangular elements pointing to 9:00 clock on both artifacts. That element does a fine job of slicing when drawn toward oneself. In hand, the crude tool of coarse stone is more comfortable to grip securely, with less danger to the palm, and the scraping edges, not near as sharp as the flint, still scrape.

[Cannonman17]

You're serious aren't you?