Big DiggingTool, Preform, Chopper Which Is It

[flintdigger]

This piece was given to me it's 9 1/2 inches long 4 1/2 inches wide at the widest point and about 1 3/4 thick at the thickest point. It is all percussion worked no pressure flaking and has some cortex on one side that look's like it might have been pecked smooth and it has a fairly sharp edge all the way around. So is this a digging tool a chopper or a preform ? It's made out of pretty good stone.

 

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[Tnmountains]

Maybe a preform they were planning on reducing into a specific tool. It is all speculation now.
Still a very nice worked stoned by early man that will look good in your collection.
Thanks for sharing!
TnMtns

 

[joshuaream]

Texas find? I've seen a lot of big quarry bifaces like that made of Edwards Plateau and different Pedernales river cobbles. They were traded or moved all over central and eastern Texas.

It was probably used for something, but eventually would have been worked down into something (or a couple of somethings.)

 

[flintdigger]

It's not a Texas find a friend found it and sent it to me, it's from Missouri.

 

[flintdigger]

Here are a couple of photo's of the edge of mine you can see can see the cortex on the top side and you can also see it was flaked at a fairly steep angle.

 

[joshuaream]

Missouri, looks like Mill Creek chert which would strongly indicate digging tool/hoe (or preform for one.) Here is a close up picture of some Mill Creek chert, does it look like this?

Joshua

 

[flintdigger]

I look's sort of like it but it is more grey than the photo's show and it has tiny sparkles in places.

 

[pickaway]

Thats a big ole piece...

 

[Flintfinder of Mo.]

I find a lot of those here in Mo.. I call them quarry blanks. I have several examples if you like to see them.... John

 

[flintdigger]

Sure I'd like to see them and compair them to mine. Do the ones you find have large area's of cortex on them ?

 

[Flintfinder of Mo.]

Heres one I just had laying around. You know I have a spot were I can pick these up all day, But I really dont find many points. I mean I have found a few. The main campsite is less than a mile away, and it is loaded with points etc. I really think its a quarryblank... JMO....John

 

[flintdigger]

Very interesting thanks for posting. It looks a good bit like my piece with the only exception being mine look's a bit thicker in cross section than that one in the last photo.

 

[Flintfinder of Mo.]

Your welcome. You know I used to drag these home by the dozens. I gave a bunch to a guy that was learning to Knapp. When I first started finding them I would put them up on another forum, a long time ago... Man when you see these laying in the dirt and flip them out. IT gets the heart pumping, they look like big Spades at first... Mine showed no signs of use, the are crude, and thick, and some are smaller and thinner. Most have cortex on them, no polish from use. Now that's just the ones i find( not saying that's what you have).... I had this pointed out to me on another forum a long time ago, and I think they were right.... John

 

[flintdigger]

They are neat pieces the only sign of use or wear that mine has it look's like they pecked off some of the thick cortex on one side I don't know if it was to make it easier to hold for some use as some sort of tool or just part of making the piece for a blank or preform . What is the material that one is made from mozarkite sugar, quartz of flint ? That is a neat looking piece.