Was a Flute Begun on this Point?

[OntarioArch]

Interesting flaking pattern on this point recovered from Old Timer's collection. Does it show an attempt / beginning of a flute on one face?
By the way.... .just saying.....not implying anything in particular....but this point was collected within the geographic area where Crowfields have been found. Just sayin'

 

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[smokeythecat]

Potentially, yes. The point has been seriously resharpened. I see this a lot. Also it is very possible but due to the one prominent "point" on the base in the middle I honestly can't say for sure. It's a keeper though!

 

[Tdog]

It appears that it was resharpened into the flute so only the remnants of the flute remain as seen in pic1. The point is practically exhausted and was much larger at one time. It has the paleo look to it. Good recovery!

 

[Tdog]

Potentially, yes. The point has been seriously resharpened. I see this a lot. Also it is very possible but due to the one prominent "point" on the base in the middle I honestly can't say for sure. It's a keeper though!

That "point" on the base is what's left of a fluting nipple I believe. It has also sustained basal damage. It could have been salvaged by a later culture as the patina looks lighter on the flaking at the tip. Of course, there's only so much we can determine from a pic.

 

[smokeythecat]

Tdog, I have a sharpened Clovis in quartz from Maryland I found when I was in high school. I had it correctly id'd last year. Some of these are tough, but, yes to all. It's amazing how often points were re found and reworked by later cultures. I have a broken full groove ax made into a 3/4 groove ax.

 

[Arrow1492]

Most likely just basal thinning. Lots of points looks like they are fluted but it can be misleading. This looks like a hi-lo point. If so, it is not true fluting.

 

[Quartzite Keith]

The first picture shows a clear, classic, Clovis type flute. The flute has been intruded into some along the right side and there is a second, shorter flute taken to better taper the base. The other side he tried to flute but ran into some bad material. Still, he achieved enough of a flute-like removal of material to create a good enough hafting area. A great many "field grade" Covis points were done this way, well fluted on one side, kind of iffy on the other side. Looks like it broke and got reworked into a knife/scraper type tool.

 

[joshuaream]

I normally don't disagree with knappers when it comes to analyzing what was intentional or not, but I'm on the fence about this one. The outline of the base makes me think a broken notched point. That was my first impression, and I'm having a hard time not seeing it when I have come back to look at this point.

Do you see any flat spots instead of a formed edge on the base if you look down the barrel? (Picture a broken tip and if you look at the point you see a flat face, like this but from the base.)

 

[OntarioArch]

More pics!

 

[Arrow1492]

Yeah-certainly not a flute. The platform was not set up right. A common misconception is all basal thinning is a flute. Far from the truth. Also the flaking patterns are not indicative of Clovis technology.

 

[MAMucker]

Broke-off stem?

 

[ToddsPoint]

Yeah-certainly not a flute. The platform was not set up right. A common misconception is all basal thinning is a flute. Far from the truth. Also the flaking patterns are not indicative of Clovis technology.

I agree with Arrow. Normal basal thinning but not fluted paleo style. Gary

 

[Quartzite Keith]

I guess I should have asked the basic question: Is the base ground? My theory is a finished paleo point that was broken and reworked in which case the working edge would be noticeably sharp while the hafting are would be noticeably duller. The one side still looks like a classic flute to me, but this is why you get more than one assessment. I've been here long enough to know how smart this group is, so I am seriously doubting my earlier comments!