Any idea what this is, style and date

[Jason Crozier]

Found in northern Manitoba. Only one I have ever seen found in the area

 

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[Charl]

I sent that pic to a geologist friend who is also a knapper. He said there is no source of cryptocrystalline quartz (flint/chert) in Manitoba and he said the point is fine grained granite. I'm kind of skeptical of that and would sure like to hold that point in my hand. Gary

Boy, that is odd. Have to respect a geologist's opinion. I have some background in that science as well, having majored in geology in college. But, that was decades ago. I have no experience in knapping, but I do know enough about rocks, our Westerly, RI granite is the gold standard for monumental granite in the United States, found on virtually all Civil War battlefield sites, its very fine grained, the reason it's the gold standard for monumental granite, and one could never knapp it.

I too would be skeptical of granite being the answer. It is not at all unlike several of the rhyolites found in New England. I do not expect it is a New England rhyolite at all, but it would not surprise me if it were some variety of that volcanic rock. I would also wonder how far from a source of cryptocrystalline quartz the point was found. The source would not need to be in Manitoba if the point is Paleo, at which time lithics were often sourced from a great distance, although that was the case more in Early Paleo then Late Paleo.

 

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[Raider19962]

Feldspar?

 

[Charl]

Feldspar?

Feldspar is the most common mineral found in granite, but I don't believe the rock itself is pure feldspar. We have feldspar in abundance where I live, it would have weathered out of granitic rocks, but it was never sourced as a lithic material in New England. It's just not something that could be knapped.

 

[unclemac]

well, winter freezes will pop off sharp flakes of granite from outcroppings and large erratics all the time. So are the edges ground? There are plenty of club heads and the like made from granite so it is not as if this stone wasn't well known and utilized. Let's see those edges and the surfaces.

 

[Jason Crozier]

Will be back home tomorrow late afternoon and will post a lot more photos for you guys to look at. I appreciate all feed back and am even more intrigued by this point than ever.

 

[Jason Crozier]

 

[arrow86]

That is one sweet point ! I think others that said Agate Basin for style are correct if that’s the case it’s transitional Paleo era so 10,550-9,350 BP definitely a bucket lister for me anyways

 

[joshuaream]

Resharpened Agate Basin. Retouch might have been by made by a later group since AB makers were typically focused on symmetry.

The material could be one of the quartzites from the US side of your border. Spanish Diggings (or some local quarry of the same geologic formation) or Silcrete from the Dakotas.

 

[Charl]

well, winter freezes will pop off sharp flakes of granite from outcroppings and large erratics all the time. So are the edges ground? There are plenty of club heads and the like made from granite so it is not as if this stone wasn't well known and utilized. Let's see those edges and the surfaces.

Yes, many hardstone tools are made from granite, but by pecking and grinding, not by knapping.

 

[Jason Crozier]

What ever stone this point is made from I see evidence of knapping. Upon further examination I believe it to be some other material than granite, something similar but not granite.
This point is the only one I have ever heard of being found within 400 miles of where I’m located. It’s likely seen a lot of miles coming up from the states

 

[joshuaream]

Yes, it probably hunted an extinct, much larger cousin of modern bison.

Manitoba is tough country to hunt. I’ve seen some great finds from there, but frequently the finds are buried deep. Do you have any wind blown areas? Look for little splinters of bone in the blowouts (or points) exposed on the surface.