(Very) Early Archaic Combination Tool Form

[uniface]

Thirty7 and I have been working on identifying an interesting tool variety that turns up (so far) in southern W. Virginia (where he's found three), Kentucky and western Tennessee. The shape of it is consistent from example to example, and puts it in the Early Archaic era (atypical of Paleo analogues, and recognisable from other, published examples).

These seem to start as narrow outrepasse flakes with the terminal hook edge retouched as endscrapers (par for the course) and knife-edge retouch on the sides (also normal on early stuff). This one (and the green-grey and reddish chert example thirty7 posted a few days ago) are left in this state. On two examples (one he drew with the title "Black Beauty" I hung on it) and a similar one he has are further modified by having had a tranchet flake driven across most of the distal (scraper) edge, producing a square-edged backing for using the knife edge at top left pretty vigorously. (In the BB example, so vigorously that the edge itself was pressure-flaked off). Another he posted has the entire distal edge taken off this way.

Bopping around the 'net, I turned up an illustration of a similar one from the Taylor Site. As we expected (from what he was finding along with them), they are associated with Early Side Notched points and Dalton points with deep basal concavities.

 

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[Th3rty7]

Good specific topic and post here. Imo everything about these distinctive tools is early, or transitional. First, the size, second the fine early pressure flaking (carry-over from paleo tech?) and third multifunctions, ie. knife edge, graver spurs, shaftscrapers. I've seen some of these tools with all three.

Here's a classic example from the Olive branch site in Illinos

http://www.lithiccastinglab.com/gallery-pages/olivebrendscrapertriplarge.htm

and an illustrated example from the Rodgers site, a deep strata dig in Missouri, scroll down one pic

http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/RodgersStone.html

I'll add info to this page as I find it, and some personal find examples later this evening.

 

[Th3rty7]

http://anthropology.uwo.ca/cje/Thedford.htm

More illustrations of early tools / scrapers(scroll down) These similar forms appear to be associated with Cumberland points from the Thedford site in sw Ontario. Similar yet slightly different, I found a tool that looks alot like D, or the long nosed scraper on the same site as two of the Dalton tools. Although it lacks the side edge retouch.

 

[Tnmountains]

Good specific topic and post here. Imo everything about these distinctive tools is early, or transitional. First, the size, second the fine early pressure flaking (carry-over from paleo tech?) and third multifunctions, ie. knife edge, graver spurs, shaftscrapers. I've seen some of these tools with all three.

Here's a classic example from the Olive branch site in Illinos

http://www.lithiccastinglab.com/gallery-pages/olivebrendscrapertriplarge.htm

and an illustrated example from the Rodgers site, a deep strata dig in Missouri, scroll down one pic

http://users.stlcc.edu/mfuller/RodgersStone.html

I'll add info to this page as I find it, and some personal find examples later this evening.

Not sure if this makes the cut. It has a worn graver tip,spokeshave or abrading groove and whats left is in knife form ?

 

[uniface]

Combination tool

 

[Th3rty7]

The top three largest examples were found in WV in association with Dalton points. The smaller but similar forms came from various sites in WV and Va. Some of those fall into the paleo endscraper type. I also included some krf examples of similar form. Last two are from uniface, notice the edgework and endscraper flaking.

 

[Tnmountains]

Uhhhh wow !! I wonder how many of those I missed over the years Nice collection thirty7.

 

[Th3rty7]

Thanks, bet you'll be picking up these uniface beauts from now on. To tell the truth I ignored them for years and threw them all in a big tupperware container. I used to write them off as waste flakes or debitage. I really enjoy going back through these containers and being able to id alot of it. I'm just glad I brought home every piece of flint I saw....packrat style can pay off.

 

[Tnmountains]

Thanks, bet you'll be picking up these uniface beauts from now on. To tell the truth I ignored them for years and threw them all in a big tupperware container. I used to write them off as waste flakes or debitage. I really enjoy going back through these containers and being able to id alot of it. I'm just glad I brought home every piece of flint I saw....packrat style can pay off.

I have a 20 year old 5 gallon bucket full of brokes and stuff we are saving for this winter to through. It will be like a new hunt. Also have two coolers full of broken pottery to play with from the sifting days gone by.

 

[Th3rty7]

Found a close match today, first thing I picked up. It might be more of a duckbill or long nosed scraper? It's an endscraper with sides worked from both faces to form knife edges. Pretty thick flake that's nearly uniform in thickness. Material appears to be heat treated. It's similar to the beveled edge Sonora piece I have, this guy has seen some heavy use.

 

[crow12c]

we find allotta them here also, they always seem to have the flat face and a curve to underneath. cool.