Follow-up #3 to My Flabbergasted Post

[Scorpion68]

Got home a little late today so further sorting was out. But I wanted to take some photos of the larger stuff we had sorted through. I apologize for the lighting. I substituted fluorescent for natural light and it just isn't the same. Also, being somewhat tired, my photos aren't exactly what I wanted them to be. Now that my disclaimer is done - here we go:

First up is the largest tip in the lot. It is really river worn and much of the detail is hard to see in these pics but both blade edges show the typical scallop pattern of pressure flaking and the overall shape is elliptical.



I'll have to get better pictures. The necessary detail doesn't show here.








I think the artifact pictured immediately above was probably a base to knife but it broke and was repurposed into a scraper or shorter knife. The wider end I believe was the original base while the narrower end was the tip that broke. That's about all I have time for tonight. Getting up at Zero Dark Thirty is wearing on me. But the weekends coming up and I'm hoping to get Joey over here for some info exchange.

[Jethro355]

Anxiously awaiting...👍👍👍👍

[Hoss]

Looks like a nice potlid

[Tam]

Chuck , the big square one might have been a square knife . If I remember correctly that being the name . Seems like I should have looked this up first . Wayne found a mid section of one . Just a perfect square piece long but broken .Its in
overstreet to tired lol .
Looks like your piece and like you said they might have reworked it .. chisel

[Scorpion68]

Tam - I've been doing quite a bit of research on your idea of a square knife and I think you're right. In our area it's called a Square-End Knife. What threw me off was the rounded end, which I took to be the base and the squared end, which I assumed had been beveled and sharpened due to a break. Well, ya know what they say when you ASSUME anything. Anyway - That's what I'm gonna ID it as. Thanks for taking the time to comment and share your thoughts. Appreciate ya and Wayne.

[Broken Arrow]

Cool stuff. I strongly believe that last one is an adze, and a nice one at that. It has the correct dimensions and manufacture method for a typical adze. It also looks nearly identical to dalton adzes recovered from many sites throughout the Midwest and southeast states. I think it was Morse who said that adzes started off as cobble cores and when the core was near exhaustion it took on its final use form as an adze. Judging by the dimensions, manufacture method, and presence of cortex, the third piece is most likely an adze and that's what I'd call it. Because of what looks like an absence of polish on the bit end, it could be an adze preform. It should be noted that most adzes do have a blade edge.

[Scorpion68]

BA - I never even considered an Adze. I see other people finding them but not me. Hum. Gonna have to do some research for them in my area.

[Broken Arrow]

here is a pic of a group of adzes and adze performs recovered from the twin sites in st. Louis co.

[Scorpion68]

Thanks for the info BA. Appreciate ya

[Kentucky point]

Those are some awesome pieces! Could you imagine what they would look like if they were whole?

[Scorpion68]

Thanks for commenting KP. I always wonder what artifacts would have looked like when I find them broken. Unfortunately, it appears, we spend more time wondering than knowing. Appreciate ya.

[Mainejman]

Need a head-on view of the bit end possibly either an adze or Celt...mjm

[Scorpion68]

MJM - I've posted bit-end view of the artifact as well as the opposite end. Let me know what ya think.

[Scorpion68]

MJM - Here ya go - I took close ups of both ends. As you'll see the one end, I'll call the bit end, was fairly evenly shaped and beveled across the face while the opposite end seemed to be kind of beat up. If you need addit closeups, let me know.

Bit end:



Opposite End: