Is This a bone Arrowhead or tool?

[Herkimerdiamond]

I found This artifact in Sept, 2008 in Lebanon, MO about a mile from where there walmart is today, it is bone, and was found near other arrowheads, but is it a bone tool, or a arrowhead (birds point?) Any help is welcome!

 

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[GaRebel1861]

My guess would be that some type of varmint has been chewing on a piece of bone. JMO

 

[Red-Coat]

My guess would be that some type of varmint has been chewing on a piece of bone. JMO

Agree. Those are rodent gnawing marks. Sometimes it's for mineral supplement reasons but more usually it's because the incisors of rodents keep growing throughout their lifetime. As well as needing to keep them sharp, there are times when they don't get enough hard dietary material to prevent 'overgrowth' so they gnaw on bones and sometimes even sedimentary rocks as a maintenance process.

The common culprits for the larger marks are squirrels and rats.

PS: Welcome to Tnet

 

[Sod Buster]

Yup, around my place if you want to find deer antler drops you have to be quick, or the squirrels will gnaw them up.

 

[Herkimerdiamond]

So is there even a chance of it being an artifact? Or do I now get to just smash it with a hammer?

 

[Red-Coat]

Well, there's always a chance, I suppose... but the odds are not in your favour. Not only that, but the reality is that it has seen so much gnawing that any diagnostics which might have confirmed it are no longer present anyway.

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

Why smash it? you have a teaching piece there, so you can pass on the knowledge you have just gained and show other people.