Small Preform or some type of tool?

Steve in PA

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Jul 5, 2010
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Pittsburgh, PA
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I found this piece in a field in Washington County , PA. The property owners son found one just like it in the same field. It's worked on all sides. I'm curious as to what it was used for - a preform, scraper, or some other type of tool?

UPDATE:

I have added pictures of the four edges if that will help.
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UPDATE:
I snapped a couple of edge pictures this morning before heading to work.

Long edge
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Short edge
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Last edited:
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I would say a square knife. That being said, a lot of the square knives are paleo in origin.
 

It is an Adze...a wood-working tool...and well, other organic substances, I suppose.
Good find, and rare enough to me, that I haven't seen any in the archaeological record,
from the sites I've had the privilege to dig on.
 

If you broke it in half I’d say two gun flints, but as long as it is I’d stick to the previous guesses.
 

Judging on just the two pics.. it’s hard to say..
It does have the shape of a adze… but, with out a pic. Of the bit end(if there is one)
I can’t say it is a adze.
 

Comparing it to the penny, I think locally made gunflint, as opposed to trade gunflint is a pretty good guess. I think being narrow makes it appear longer than it is.
 

I tested dozens of types of US flints for gunflints. Most all were lacking. Coshocton from Ohio and Mill Cr. from IL were by far the two best. Coshocton has something like 95% silica, very pure. Gary
 

Thanks for the ideas on this piece. I have added some picture of the four edges if that will help.
This is definitely not a gunflint. As far as being an Adze, it would have to be an awfully small one.
 

Ok we have tallied the comments:
Tool = 1
Adze = 1
Square Knife = 2
Gunflint = 1
Not sure = 1

And I'm going to cast the deciding vote for .... Not Sure :laughing7:
 

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