Worked stone tool? or random plow strikes?

Jun 6, 2017
2
2
Alliance, OH
Primary Interest:
Other
My daughter came up with this item while hunting for rocks to paint (if you're not familiar with that practice....well it's a topic for another day)

Location - NE Ohio, surface find
Material - Brown flint, some cortex visible
size: 2.5" x 1.5", 5/8" thick at widest point.

I'm wondering if I'm correct that this is worked stone, and not just random plow damage.
stone tool obverse.jpgstone tool profile.jpgstone tool reverse.jpg

Thanx. :)
 

It shows evidence of conchoidal fracturing ... the question being, "is it man made."

The smaller chip scars on the convex side might suggest how a knapper would begin to "break into a rock" to check the inside for usability.
Then this larger spall broken off as they got into the rock ... either looking for spalls to make tools, or looking to make a "core piece" out of the rock, itself.
The pics seem to suggest enough work in the proper sequence to suggest a man-made pattern.
Without very close scrutiny of the edges, it can't be determined if there was "use wear" on this piece or if it was simply a discarded spall (flake) as the worker proceeded to work on the rest of the rock.

The pics also suggest this piece might ?? have experienced some water wear after being broken off the main rock.
This is a much smaller possibility ... but a rushing river can tumble rocks to actually break a series of chips off in a natural manner to replicate a man-made appearance, while leaving a worn look on the removed spalls.

Going strictly by the pics, I'm seeing a distinctive enough pattern to suggest it was done by man ... and was probably a discard flake rather than the intended piece to be used as a tool.

The clincher would be if you could find any other flakes whatsoever in the immediate area.
This would suggest a "manufacturing site" and pretty much confirm that this was man-made.

I'm leaning towards man-made, going solely by the pictures.
 

Upvote 0
I'm not really seeing anything that says artifact, flakes look random, I use to find a lot like that and the flakes were natural or farm implements.
 

Upvote 0

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top