Hammerstone or just a stone?

jeramme

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Upvote 2
it looks like a natural stone to me.

most hammer stones i found are pocked with many impact strikes on the faces, and are more rounded from years of use.

this looks like a igneous granite like stone to me.
 

What was the context? Was it dug from a site or randomly found along the river? In my mind, if came from the bottom of a settlement it carries a bunch more authenticity compared to a random find unless the settlement was a gravel bar. I find MANY useful hard rocks along the river.
 

Thanks all! It was found in close proximity to a known habitation sight...close to the river. The reasons I thought it might be an artifact was that there seemed to be a patina on it...and I thought the bottom side had an identation that may have been pecked or worked.
 

Thanks all! It was found in close proximity to a known habitation sight...close to the river. The reasons I thought it might be an artifact was that there seemed to be a patina on it...and I thought the bottom side had an identation that may have been pecked or worked.
There does not appear to be any evidence of it being used to hammer.

I think this might be one of those forever undetermined objects.
 

its a pebble too.... not useful as a hammer stone
 

For pounding a stake or food preparation about any hammerstone would do. For tool making, like flint knapping and pecking out an axe requires a special stone. For knapping, you need a heavy igneous or quartz rock. Your igneous rock would be perfect for breaking up a good sized nodule of flint. I like igneous rocks with a slightly more gritty surface. For finish work, a smaller hammerstone would be necessary. For making an axe or celt, you need a rock that is harder than the axe preform. Since your igneous rock is the exact type of rock axes are made from, you would need a piece of quartz or hard chert to peck it. This is a quartz hammerstone found on an Indian campsite. After much use it will eventually take on a rounded shape. This would have been used to peck igneous rocks into celts and axes.
IMG_9526.webp
 

and don't forget antler tines either... I have some nice examples of tools with obvious tine marks.
 

Looks natural, see no signs of it being used by man.
 

Couldn't rounded Granit river washed rock be used as a Hammer Stone ? Couldn't this black stone pictured above be used for a Hammer Stone ? I've found several stones that are about the size of a baseball and are heavy and appears to me a Granite material . Obviously NOT used by anyone as a tool yet , BUT getting ready to try out as soon as I get some material to try it out on .
 

Couldn't rounded Granit river washed rock be used as a Hammer Stone ? Couldn't this black stone pictured above be used for a Hammer Stone ? I've found several stones that are about the size of a baseball and are heavy and appears to me a Granite material . Obviously NOT used by anyone as a tool yet , BUT getting ready to try out as soon as I get some material to try it out on .
Could be used yes, but with out some kind of physical proof it was used it is just a river rock not indian artifact, other wise every rock in a river becomes "artifact" if that makes sense. 😁
 

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