Preform? Odd break?

[frogyrogy]

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[BabaORiley]

Try and show a few more focused angles maybe in outdoor light. It is an interesting looking piece that does appear to have some work done to it.

[Andy W.]

I don't know how or why but I've foind points like those.

[sailorjoe]

Hi FR. Strange piece. I never found anything quite like that. It looks kinda like it was in the process of being made into a point and then lost or discarded and not really a preform as such. The incurvate base makes it look like a very old piece like early Archaic or trans Paleo. What other stuff do you find on that site?

[Tam]

I think Joe nailed it .. really unusual .

[11KBP]

An opinion only, I would say it’s a finished point but it appears to have experienced an impact shearing fracture(s). These fractures remove a burin type of flake on one edge of the projectile and sometimes both edges simultaneously.

Here is an example on a St. Charles/Dove that was sheared symmetrically on both edges and could have easily been repaired so I assume it was lost. Looking down at it when lying flat you would not guess that the tip was burinated.
It also exhibits an earlier repaired impact fracture that had been partially flaked over during the repair.

On the point in question it is interesting how the burin followed the curvature of the blade’s edge. Nice point and a very interesting study piece.

[gregszybala]

My first thought was like 11kbp's but please, better pics.

[Tam]

This is my best example of an impact fracture I just thought I would share . At first it looks like a sweet little point . Needle tip , some edge work . But I’ll never know how good because when I turned it to the side I saw this . Text book break . So bad it almost took off the tip .

[gregszybala]

Still can't see it clearly but it looks like you are right. Are both surfaces worked? Maybe unfinished? Interesting piece.
Again, better pics would help.

[Tam]

My point was I just can’t imagine a perfect wrap around fracture . Kind of defies science . But I am with you opinion and others it is unfinished . It’s a very cool find and looks to be old.

[11KBP]

Although the images are lacking it does appear that both the dorsal and ventral sides are those of a finished biface. I wasn’t aware that you could knap the blade surfaces of projectile point and have angular blocky lateral edges that could be interpreted as an unfinished point rather than damaged edges. However I'm always willing to learn something new.

Perhaps the forum knappers could help out here with their opinion on this specimen?

[Kyflintguy]

I wish the photos were clearer. I've never seen a break like that although I don't rule it out. It would have made an excellent double edged hafted burin/scrapping tool though. Really interesting artifact!

[11KBP]

Great photos frogyrogy.

Another example from my collection exhibiting a sheared edge impact fracture on one side.
This one followed around the curved edge enough to remove one ear. (click on image to enlarge)

[G10+]

Wow !! Now that’s an odd fall for sure ... there could many many speculations of this one .... very nice