Is this white tool a scraper or cutter of some kind

[Sam James]

I am very excited to find a new site at Avebury a large pre-historic stone circle complex here in the UK. I have this smaller grey scraper to confirm the settlement but this white tool is not elegantly made but is a great shape and has been notched/chipped on the round edge and around sides and top, it holds very well in the hand as it has a nice pronounced round bulge. Is this some kind of scraper chopper?

Thanks
Sam

[Hyzer]

Sam, That look's very similar to a piece I found in north central IL. I posted mine a few years ago and got several responses ranging from a polished adze to a discarded unfinished piece. Mine is a bit more flat without the hump in it.

https://forums.arrowheads.com/forum/general-discussion-gc5/what-did-i-find-gc11/383641-my-first-find

[Artifascination]

I remember that one Hyzer! I actually found the twin to yours! It is almost identical to yours in size, color, and shape. The polish on the one that I found shows that it was used as a woodworking tool. I will post it

[Sam James]

Looks great Hyzer thanks for posting, where is IL?

[Hyzer]

Illinois is in the Midwest U.S., southwest of Lake Michigan. Chicago, IL borders Lake Michigan.

[tomclark]

Wow that second piece has THICK patina!!

[Artifascination]

Yes sir that’s a definitely a tool! Awesome find! Here’s one that I found similar to yours.

[Hyzer]

Yes, quite similar. Thanks for sharing!

[painshill]

Hi Sam.

The smaller one appears to be a small button scraper, and the larger one a planiform knife made on a large flake. Both likely Neolithic and typically not ever so refined. I have collected a number of artefacts from that same vicinity adjacent to Stonehenge, many of which are barely modified beyond debitage. Here's a few.



There seems to be something about the soil/water table in that area which, in some flint types, promotes the very thick patina Tom referred to, and brown threads or splodges of iron-staining are also commonly seen in the patina. The flint types affected by this always seem to be brownish-grey inside (from the ones I've picked up that are broken) rather than the rich black of the button scraper.

There is strong evidence of feasting (from the numerous accumulations of bones) in the general vicinity, which is believed to be the direct result of people seasonally visiting the henges, rather than from settlement per se. Consequently, there are numerous crude butchery tools to be found in small groups.

PS: We have a designated section on the forum for 'International Artefacts' (ie non native-American) and I am going to move your threads with UK items into that section. I'll leave a 'redirect' hotlink in the section where you originally posted so folks can easily find them, but that redirect will expire in 14 days and the posts will then only be accessible from the 'International' section.

[antmike915]

very cool post Roger