Reworked Bipointed Blade?

[kyheadhunter]

Hi,
Here's one we found yesterday. Notice how it has been reworked after it was broken.
I'm calling this a reworked Bipointed blade...do you agree?...but that still doesn't tell me what time period it was from.
The reference book I have...shows their example as being from the Mississippian Period. How can I figure the time period for mine?
jane

[greywolf22]

Jane
Yes that one was picked up in ancient times an reworked. Looks like a scraper. You can see where the patination change is but also see where the patination process started back after reworked.
Jack

[Scorpion68]

Jane - if I had to guess, I'd say that the entire bottem or stem is broken away leaving the upper 2/3rd of the point or blade.  I've got a few like that, specially when the cows are on the move on the logging roads.  Hows about flipping that artifact over and let's see the other side.  Paleolution could probably redraw the bottem part of that artifact so you could see the whole thing.  Still, it's an artifact and will fit your collection.  Keep hunting.  Hey Jack can you approximate age from patination???---Chuck

[greywolf22]

Chuck
Yes and No. Patination varies by material and by geographical location.It can be an indicator of age, especially for rhyolite, slate and shale artifacts. However, tools made from quartzite seldom reflect heavy patintinations even on Clovis points. The hardness of quartz #7 -and- diamond is #10; so quartz is very hard and the elements do not effect it in the way it does softer material. The acidic environment in which the artifact is found may also have a marked effect on the extent of patination. Also patination may vary according to the buried position of the artifact. If one side of an aftifact is exposed to the weather while one side is not then the side exposed takes on a different look than side that is not.
This unfluted Clovis made of high grade hornstone shows very little patination. Dwain Rogers COA. It looks like it could have been made last week if you are considering patination and not the material it is made of. The point is smooth from age.

Jack
   Attached files 

[Scorpion68]

Jack - Thanks for the info.  I can remember finding artifacts in Florida that were made of a light tan colored flint but it had a kind of coating on the surface that you could actually scrape off and see the original flint.  The surface material was lighter than the original flint. ---Chuck

[kyheadhunter]

Thanks Chuck -and- Jack for your replies. Here's a few more pictures to see the detail hopefully a bit better and the flip side. Notice how the color of the material looks completely different bacause of the background color.
Jack...hope your be patient with me if I ask too many questions...I'm trying to learn as we go.
My 1st question is...What are you looking at or seeing that lets you know it is a scraper verus a bipoint blade? I was so sure I'd finally identified one all by myself! LOL
There are a tremendous number of factors to consider concerning the age -and- patination of a artifact...are there not? Good gosh!.. don't know if I'll ever learn it all.
I've heard of pottery being found that has washed out of a hillside that was in near perfect condition all because it was burried in clay dirt. have you heard of anything like that before?
BTW Mark....beautiful Clovis!
jane

 
 
 

[turkeytail]

Not my clovis Jane!!! Ill take it though!!! :woohoo:

[greywolf22]

Jane
Yes you can call that a bipoint as it has the two points, but it was used as knife or scraper by the last person who sharpened it unifacialy on the base end of the original point which was biface.
This point is a good example as it shows bifacal sharpeing on one end and unifacial sharpening on the other end. Both are accomplished by pressure flaking.
Jack

[greywolf22]

Chuck
Patination cannot be scraped off the surface unless you are usiing someting that is capable of removing part of the stone. Patination is part of the rock. Its like an onion skin that covers the rock. Some onion skin is thicker than other onion skin. Depends on the stone.
Jack

[wmwallace]

Cool find Jane, and Jack once again thanks for the education. Neat piece. Now for the question, was the difference in flaking done due to change in time period of process? Or guided by what the ancient craftsman wanted to use the tool for in its final service??-Bill

[greywolf22]

Bill
This point was resharpened in later time, looking at the patination on the biface part and the flaking on the uniface part it could have been thousands of years difference. We cannot tell what the point looked like when new because the base in not there to tell us what the culture was.
Jack

[greywolf22]

Re:Reworked Bipointed Blade? 0 Minutes ago     
Bill
This point was resharpened in later time, looking at the patination on the biface part and the flaking on the uniface part it could have been thousands of years difference. We cannot tell what the point looked like when new because the base in not there to tell us what the culture was.
This is Snake Head Harahey that was in my collection that was used over a long period of time, some one lost it and it was picked up and reused thousand of years later
Jack

[kyheadhunter]

Thanks everyone for your all the replies and help ID'ing this one.
Jack...I appreciate you for taking the time to explain this in such detail. Sometimes it's like the words just bounce off my head...you can almost see them as they bounce off into space Bing!-Ping!-Bong! but hey...the way you explain it.. with the added visual help of the pics, it finally soaks in and makes sense to me.
If only I'd had a teacher like you, back in my school days...you know why back when... I might of actually liked history and ended up learning something.  :unsure:   You ever considered teaching or maybe writing a book about the identification of artifacts?
Although it's sad that it was broken, I think the resharping, just adds more mystery -and- charm to the point. You have to admire the fact they recycled such things, that more than many of us do today.
Thanks everyone!
Mark...what about this Snake Head Harahey, you want it too? So sorry! I'll get everyone's names straight one of these days! LOL   :S

[greywolf22]

Jane
I like reworked points because of the information that can be had from it. When I go to artifact shows I walk the around and can see what an artifact was used for, this is when it gets fun.
Jack

[kyheadhunter]

I'd love to go one of the shows I hear you guys talk about. How can I find out where the closest one to me would be and the upcoming dates?
jane