Utah arrowhead factory?

[aspentoomey]

Can anyone provide any information on the time period or who might have made these? Any information would be most appreciated!

 

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[rock]

Welcome new member! It is always nice to view finds but they are just too far away to get an ID on them. Maybe pick some that show good flaking and take a close up on them for us to see them better. Take your pics outside and use the marco setting that will help greatly.

 

[aspentoomey]

I will do so tomorrow. Thanks!

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Welcome to the site aspentoomey. From what I can see in your picture you found a lot of Flakes, but no true Arrowheads. Some of those may be Tools, but none of them look to be Points of any kind.

 

[Charl]

Welcome to the site aspentoomey. From what I can see in your picture you found a lot of Flakes, but no true Arrowheads. Some of those may be Tools, but none of them look to be Points of any kind.

x2. But it's likely a good place to hunt for points.

 

[mammoth29]

Welcome to the site aspentoomey. From what I can see in your picture you found a lot of Flakes, but no true Arrowheads. Some of those may be Tools, but none of them look to be Points of any kind.

x3. Some if it depends on where you were in the desert. Northern or Southern Utah?

 

[aspentoomey]

 

[chase2]

It looks like you have flakes, and no true artifacts ( a few look like they have work on them) also some natural rocks. But it looks like a good area to search.

And Welcome to Tnet.

 

[aspentoomey]

Chase I'm not sure I understand. Can you explain flaking? All of these on one side or the other show signs that they were chipped around the edges. Many of them have been arched in the center on one side then flat on the other side.

 

[aspentoomey]

Never mind, got it. Flaking is most often used to produce cutting or piercing implements with sharp edges or points. Stone best suited for the purposes are hard, very fine-grained, and possessed of a conchoidal fracture pattern.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

the ute were in the area you describe...after the old ones left...

Utah Indian Burial Laws | Indian Artifacts

 

[larson1951]

hey hey welcome to tnet aspen
on your second set of images the first image the top two on the right side and the second from the top in the middle row could be some sort of very crude expediant type scraper but very questionable
as far as the rest of all the other images i see no arrowheads or no type of tool
they are all rocks
we mean know disrespect by sayin' this
you might want to go back there or try a new spot when you are able
thanks
larson1951

 

[chase2]

Never mind, got it. Flaking is most often used to produce cutting or piercing implements with sharp edges or points. Stone best suited for the purposes are hard, very fine-grained, and possessed of a conchoidal fracture pattern.

aspentoomey, it sounds like you have somewhat an idea of flaking. The stones you refer to, are Flint, Chalcedony,Chert (the most common),Quartsite, Riolite,quartz and a few others. All are a silica based, with other minerals to make up the composite of the stone. The flaking of these stones were done with hard stones (mainly for roughing out a shape) and bone or antler would do more of the refined work. Flaking occurred when the Chert is struck on some what the edge, and I vibration would resonate through the chert creating a flake to come of the main stone. repeating this would create and shape the artifact and put a sharp edge for various tools and points. Most of what is found is the residual flaking of this process, and not considered artifacts, but the waste by product of artifacts. That was a short version. These are waste flakes These show more work but were most likely discarded do to stacking( a flake that breaks short with a lip)

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

unlike the other opinions, I see rock that have been worked...throw away or chips from working...a few scrapers...
in the area you are in, the natives were rather basic hunter-gatherers...low on the technology ladder...some of the family groups were still basketmaker types when the Mormons arrived...not known for advance pottery or lithic objects...

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sorry, see nothing in picture to suggest artifacts.... I have found several thousand when I lived in Missouri.. Don't let your imagination mislead you, mother nature forms trillions of pointed rocks and odd shaped rocks some people try to make into artifacts but they are still just rocks..

Don't give up or get discouraged, keep looking and good luck...


Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

 

[Charl]

"in the area you are in, the natives were rather basic hunter-gatherers...low on the technology ladder...some of the family groups were still basketmaker types when the Mormons arrived...not known for advance pottery or lithic objects..."

Not to be argumentative, but the above is just not accurate. Natives from coast to coast were efficient at lithic technology. Lithic material varies in quality but the natives living in what is now Utah made points as well as anyone else.

 

[mammoth29]

Not to be argumentative, but the above is just not accurate.

I have to agree with Charl. See exhibit A found just a few weeks ago in Utah, in the desert-

Exhibit A-

 

[aspentoomey]

I am finding it really interesting that there is such a difference in opinion whether these have been worked on or not. I have been researching to find similar photos and what groups of Indians lived in the area. Lets say these were tools or weapons. Given the crudeness of them what time frame would we be looking at? And to the members that think these are in no way tools or weapons I completely respect your opinion. Thanks!

 

[aspentoomey]

Do you see the edge of these rocks? Do you think the earth did this?

 

[Brandiwine]

Do you see the edge of these rocks? Do you think the earth did this?

Hey Aspen! Welcome!
After you spend some time here, you'll understand how the differences of opinion happen, you'll know who's opinion to trust, and you'll learn A LOT! This is coming from someone who's posted natural formations or hell...even disagreed with someone's call. But...I've also learned more here in the few months I've frequented this site than researching books and the web for years.

As for whether the earth did that to those 2 points, I'm no expert but I'll give my two cents because I think it will help. I think those 2 pieces may be cores if anything. There could be one big flake taken off of both sides, giving it the sharp edge. But if you look along this site at any true point someone has posted you'll see lots of smaller flaking and each culture had its own style of flaking. You'll see a lot of points where the edge has been sharpened (or resharpened) leaving small flake scars along the outside edge.

I recommend looking throughout posts here and zooming in on the pictures of points no one is questioning. You'll notice distinct flaking on every true "arrowhead" (very few find actual arrowheads as the bow is a pretty modern invention). Every culture, every point type and so on shows different characteristics but you can still easily see why these guys are calling these differently.

P.S. almost everyone who posted here has earned my respect and trust over a short time. Read some of their other posts and you'll see why.