bone and antler tools sat afternoon

[larson1951]

sat afternoon we found a few scrapers, one KRF and one agate
next we found a bone spatula or quill flattener
then last and best a bone piece in ex shape
it was exposed by the last rain after i tilled some areas to get rid of the early spring mustard
i am not quite sure what it is
at first we thought a flaking tool but it is fairly short for that
don't think it was a point because the cut end is not drilled if you know what i mean
also prolly too short for a perforating tool
maybe it is some type of ornament?

any body out there have any ideas as to what it was used for

 

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[*Molly*]

Unusual bone peice. I'll be interested to what the others think it is..
Nice finds Steve, congrats.

Barrier cream with stop your hands getting so dirty, will keep them soft too dear..

Molly.

 

[pickaway]

Nice finds, that bone is killer...What do you think it is?

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Larson, that is a classic example of a Deer Antler Arrowpoint. You can see in the picture where it has been scored all around and then snapped off the antler. They have got it sharpened down to a very nice point but they obviously never got around to drilling it out. Very nice piece. I have only seen one that was a little bigger then yours and a buddy of mine has it. It is huge for an Antler Point.

Killer finds as always.

 

[naturegirl]

So now I've seen examples of how bone and antlers were scored and then snapped or broken, thanks to larson, worthy55 and SRV. I will recognize it if I'm ever fortunate enough to find one, let alone go hunting again! If that was an arrowpoint, how did they attach it to an arrow?

 

[larson1951]

thanks steve, i thought it was a point at first but after looking closer at the cut end i made an observation to make me think a little more
the cut end shows use polish as if it was used for perforating
with the cut end against the inside of the palm of the users hand
i don't know if my close up images will help show this but here are some pics
what do you think of my idea
i do have some bone points but maybe only about 6 or so and like you say the bone points are usually smaller
just a thought
check it out and tell me if it makes sense, K ?
larson1951

thanks naturegirl
they attatched them by drilling a hole in the end to fit over the arrow shaft
the bone points steve and I have are drilled, steve might be right that i have found an undrilled point, thanks, larson1951

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I see what you mean by the end being very highly polished. I'm not sure about that. Maybe it was used as you say it was. I don't know any other reason they would polish the end like that unless they polished it first before drilling. It is definitely a very nice looking Antler Point though.

Naturegirl, heres a few more pictures of some worked and cut Deer Antler. The first 2 pictures are of my best Deer Antler Points and Flakers. Almost every one of these have been drilled out.

The 3rd picture shows some cut Antler along the bottom between the round discs.

The 4th picture is some other Antler Point and Flakers I have.

The next 2 show what are called Antler Gaming Bones or Antler Drifts. We think they were game pieces.

The last picture shows down inside the drilling of an Arrowpoint and if you look closely you can see the tip of the Drill that broke off inside the point.

 

[cthulhu]

Barrier cream with stop your hands getting so dirty, will keep them soft too dear..

Molly.

Those are hands of a digger.

 

[Neogeo]

A Farmers hand is what that is,the soil can be a cruel mistress..lol...I was thinking un-finished point as well,but that wear is funny...Huh..got me...Thanx for a great showing ya'll

 

[Harry Pristis]

The deer antler was grooved and snapped off at three places to make this nifty "T" handle. A bit or perforator could be mounted in the softer cancellous bone in the center of the long shaft. The bit could be shell (a columella from a gastropod) or a knapped chert drill. Bone pins from deer cannon bones (metapodials) were commonly used in antler handles as perforators.

 

[naturegirl]

Could the polish on larsons tool have happened during the scoring? some of the other pictures of SRv's show some polish too? larson those are great close ups. The angle of the scored edge must have been due to the width of the tool they used? a graver? a knife? Those are cool "t" handles from Florida. Would the soft inside have held a bit very long? Every tip of an antler meant something important. Every bit of the animal killed meant survival. These tools really illustrate that, huh? maybe they let the young bucks live longer so there were more points?

 

[Harry Pristis]

Lars . . . Just what is the filler in your antler tip? It doesn't look like bone to me. The filler looks like clay, yet there is no shrinkage. It seem reasonable to expect some sort of bedding material if such a point were to be mounted on a shaft. Is it possible that this point was drilled out, then filled with a bedding material, then lost?

An antler tip might have a little cancellous bone some distance from the tip, depending on the season in which the deer was taken. It is this cancellous bone center that is ground out. Antler tips are typically solid bone. The spikey tips don't have a broad center of bone with a spongey texture.

Add to that, the section of antler used for a point must be large enough in diameter to accomodate the shaft and still be stout enough to withstand impact on a prey animal. I think the very tip of the antler was removed to make a section near the tip into a point.

Here's how I think it was done:

​

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Harry, I think you are right on your assumption that some of the Antler Tips were made that way and this picture proves your point. You can't see the back end but both ends have been cut and snapped and you can also see where they then started shaving down the sides to sharpen the tip for an Arrowpoint.

I also think they used the very tips too though but mostly for Flakers. I have a few that have been hollowed out on the ends by drilling but they were never sharpened and instead show polish from being used, probably as a flakeing tool.

 

[larson1951]

thanks for all the info you guys
i really appreciate the posts and images
my piece doesn't have filler, it is natural and not ever been drilled
you guys sure know a lot about this subject, and i am glad you share it with me
lars

 

[naturegirl]

ditto, thanks for taking the time

 

[larson1951]

harry,
on the 2nd image what looks like filler might be water that soaked in as i just had it over to the water tank to wash it for the photos
lars

 

[centfladigger]

hey thats a very nice find, heres a few pics of some of my bone stuff.Top pic is an antler pressure flaker, one tine is cut off it would have been used between the legs to drive flakes off.The other is my socketed antler point and the last pic is a broken atlatl weight, when I first found it I thought it was another antler handle but saw the groove on the back end and realized what is was.

 

[larson1951]

hey thanks
digger, i have a piece similar to what you show in the 1rst image
i will post it as soon as my wife gets back with my camera or maybe i can find another camera around here soon
lars

 

[coteau]

They also made gaming pieces out of antler, similar to ice gliders, that the children played with.

If you don't already have it you might want to get the book, "Games of the North American Indians" by Stewart Culin. There are gaming dice pieces in the book that have the same types of designs as yours. It's the most complete book you will ever find on Indian games.

http://www.amazon.com/Games-North-American-Indians-Stewart/dp/0486231259

 

[Harry Pristis]

I really like that alternative explanation for bone points, 'Coteau' . . . darts! That certainly makes some sense in areas with suitable lithic resources -- why put all that effort into making a bone point when you can make a more durable point out of chert!