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  • Graver?/Material?/Paleo?

    My newest puzzle. The Mrs. found this in a corn field overlooking a Massachusetts river where it empties into the Atlantic. Many years ago. Looked like a tool at the time. But stood out because in 50 years I have never seen this material in this region. Been looking at it. The lighter photos are truest color, it's pretty much an off white material. English flint? That would make it a Contact era piece. First 2 pics are side A and 3rd is side B. the breakage on the face of side B reveals an interior that reminds me more of porcelain then chert?! Don't see chert/flint around here near enough to have seen much or know much, really. I had heard of worked glass in Contact times, but worked porcelain? Nah, I don't think so, but...

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    So, first thought was combo tool, beginning with an end scraper, or perhaps slight steepedge:

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    Then I noticed what might be a graver spur, seen here side A and side B.
    Side A upper right corner:

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    Close up:

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    Side A, lower left corner:

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    Side B, upper left corner:

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    Side B, lower right corner:

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    So, I'm wondering, gravers found in all time periods but end scrapers with graver spurs are a common Paleo tool. In addition, early Paleo lithics in New England are usually exotics obtained at great distance. And in 50 years, I've never seen this material. So, maybe a Paleo end scraper with graver spur? Thoughts? I know that(Paleo) cannot really be ascertained from a single isolated artifact. But, does the material look familiar to anybody? Does it look like an end scraper, graver, abrader(concave sides)? Does it look like English flint? Any help or insight appreciated.

    A page describing gravers:
    http://www.lithiccastinglab.com/gall...averspage1.htm
    Last edited by painshill; 04-13-2020, 07:02 AM.
    Rhode Island

  • #2
    Whatever else we can say about this tool, it's a dual eppigy :rolf: :rolf:
    It's an eagle:

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    It's a bear:

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    Last edited by painshill; 04-13-2020, 07:10 AM.
    Rhode Island

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    • #3
      Charlie some aspiring flint knappers have used Johnstone for years to practice the craft! I think yours if flint though. instead of looking at the edge of the blade I look from the outward side in and can see a face!
      It is in my opinion an spoke shave with a graver spur. Because of the unusual lithic it may be far older than you think. The way it looks from certain maps is Paleo people came into the North East from the south and followed the big rivers up until they hit an ice wall. Then expending all available hunting resources turned back and hunted/gathered their way back out. I would call it a very cool tool!
      TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

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      • #4
        Very intriguing piece Charlie. I can see it being a spokeshave with graver as Hoss said. I also agree, it's some type of chert material and not a ceramic. Also, in my comparatively short hunting experience in my area, I can say I haven't seen that material here. Being from the south and west of you, I wonder if that lithic sources to your north?? I'll check my north east lithics reference when I get home tomorrow but I don't recall seeing anything like that in there before. Very cool study piece anyway you look at it!
        Southern Connecticut

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        • #5
          Hoss wrote:

          Charlie some aspiring flint knappers have used Johnstone for years to practice the craft! I think yours if flint though. instead of looking at the edge of the blade I look from the outward side in and can see a face!
          It is in my opinion an spoke shave with a graver spur. Because of the unusual lithic it may be far older than you think. The way it looks from certain maps is Paleo people came into the North East from the south and followed the big rivers up until they hit an ice wall. Then expending all available hunting resources turned back and hunted/gathered their way back out. I would call it a very cool tool!
            Thanks, Hoss. Did not realize knappers used Johnstone, my new fact learned today
          Yeah, I was allowing my self to think Paleo, and it really turned on that material for myself as well. That would be very cool in my book. Southeastern Ma. Has yielded Paleo, mostly in Taunton River basin. This piece was found on the Westport River. Only hunted it about half a dozen times. The owner died and the daughter posted the field. So don't have but a small frame of stuff. Developed now anyway.
          Rhode Island

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          • #6
            Charlie, from what I can see, my first thought would be a repurposed gunflint. With the flat bi-faces and the beveling and general shape is what leads me to believe this what it is. For the pock mark, I have seen this on points found at the waters edge where Ice pop's a portion out, it is not smooth but rough.
            Look to the ground for it holds the past!

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            • #7
              cgode wrote:

              Very intriguing piece Charlie. I can see it being a spokeshave with graver as Hoss said. I also agree, it's some type of chert material and not a ceramic. Also, in my comparatively short hunting experience in my area, I can say I haven't seen that material here. Being from the south and west of you, I wonder if that lithic sources to your north?? I'll check my north east lithics reference when I get home tomorrow but I don't recall seeing anything like that in there before. Very cool study piece anyway you look at it!
                Thanks, Chris. Yes, I thought a northern source first, because I don't know any NY cherts like that. I probably meant spokeshave and not abrader, actually, but I think the leading end at the widest end is a scraper edge as well, and the damaged area on side B includes that leading edge, as if it broke while that edge was being used. So maybe scraper/spokeshave/graver.
              Rhode Island

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              • #8
                Charlie establishing the year of manufacture is simple. On all Swiss Army Knives you simply locate
                the serial number and look it up. Glad to be of help. Seriously it is a very interesting piece.
                Michigan Yooper
                If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for Anything

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                • #9
                  I can see what Chase is saying too. That artifact is very unusual and thought provoking.
                  TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

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                  • #10
                    chase wrote:

                    Charlie, from what I can see, my first thought would be a repurposed gunflint. With the flat bi-faces and the beveling and general shape is what leads me to believe this what it is. For the pock mark, I have seen this on points found at the waters edge where Ice pop's a portion out, it is not smooth but rough.
                      Good idea, chase, and I noticed the gunflint resemblance possibility as well. But, although I don't know gunflints that well at all, and have only found 2-3 all told, if this were a repurposed example, the gunflint itself would have been very big? Right now the piece is 38mm on it's long axis, or 1 1/2 inches long. One of the gunflints I've found is essentially barely used. It's 25mm or 15/16ths of an inch. How big did gunflints get?  It's possible Roger could identify the flint if it is English. If edge on photos will help, will have to wait till the sun returns on Wed. Would have been I'm guessing 1 3/4 inch long and about 1 1/4 inch wide. Did gunflints come in that size?  The surface or face of the cortex on side A slopes inward and has a twist along it's length. It's not flat like the one nice English gunflint I have. Probably cannot see the flowing surface of the cortex of side A in my photos as I can with my eyes holding at extreme angle. Just some observations that lean me somewhat away from repurposed gunflint, although that's cool as well in my book. Very cool. And it does have one beveled facet sloping downward as in a gunflint. Now the surface or face of the cortex on side B has flowing contours/surface that also would seem very strange for a gunflint, but will need light and not sure my camera will focus good enough for that anyway. Seems like a goid possibility all told. Just need to learn if gunflints came this big. If it's English flint, very cool Contact artifact in any event. Piece was found on a gentle slope ending at about a 50 foot steep drop to the river banks.
                    Looking at the upper right quadrant of the cortex in this photo, you can see some darkening from shadow there because the surface starts to slope sharply upward at that point. Would that be the case with a gunflint surface? BTW, by cortex I mean the smooth surfaced areas.

                      Thanks for the ideas, guys. I've been thinking along both lines, Paleo or Contact.
                    Rhode Island

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                    • #11
                      Charlie, you might find this an interesting read.

                      Look to the ground for it holds the past!

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                      • #12
                        Thanks, chase. Will read. Here are my 2 for sure gunflints along with the thing. Lol. The small grey one found on a site where I have found Contact in the form of a brass triangle. It is very glossy, the big piece is very slightly slick looking, barely glossy. It is also more grey, the colors don't match as much as they seem to, it's dark here, and it doesn't have the spiderweb of fine black lines that the larger piece has. That said, I think it's an English gunflint from 17th century, settler or native, and maybe it is the same flint as I don't know the range involved at all if the big piece is English flint. The dark gunflint is my best, and the one I thought was little used. It was found on a sandbar where a Contact period brass triangle was also found, but in that instance, I can't be really sure of age, they were used in the 19th century too after all.
                        chase, I couldn't download the file. Did it indicate gunflints came that big? Can certainly see why you suggested it.

                        Rhode Island

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                        • #13
                          This was from a kentucky site but for the gunflint its self, for a Musquet the flint length 1 5/8"      width 1 1/4"  and 1/3" thick it also talks about the curvetures.
                          Look to the ground for it holds the past!

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                          • #14
                            Charlie,,I'm pretty sure it's a duck !

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                            • #15
                              chase wrote:

                              This was from a kentucky site but for the gunflint its self, for a Musquet the flint length 1 5/8"      width 1 1/4"  and 1/3" thick it also talks about the curvetures.
                                Sounds like it's in that range. I hope Roger sees this, because he'll likely know or recognize this flint if it is English. I'll get that article on the computer OK, tablet doesn't want to cooperate at the moment. Repurposed gunflint would be 1600's around here, not an everyday find, that's for sure. That would be a highlight, it would have been repurposed and used in Plymouth Colony!
                              Rhode Island

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