West central Missouri surface find. My initial thoughts were that this is a small blade but figured I would post on here and get some input from some of you folks that have much more experience with tools and such. The edge shown could have possibly been resharpened but the other edge that isn't shown does not appear to have been resharpened at all. Whichever it is, I'm happy to have found it and it already has a home in one of my cases. Thank you in advance for taking the time to look and for any help regarding this piece, Tim
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Small blade or preform?
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Nice find Tim. It looks like a preform to me but I am basing that on the fact that it doesn't seem like a finished product and that only. Im thinking it was about ready for the knappers lap before it was dropped or whatever caused it to be left behind. Our knappers can probably lend some telltale signs if in fact it is a preform...cool find dude...The chase is better than the catch...
I'm Frank and I'm from the flatlands of N'Eastern Illinois...
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I would call it a preform, based on that horizontal transverse flaking with a couple overshot flakes on the face in the first pic and what looks like maybe some guide flakes on the base indicating they may have been setting up for some fluting or thinning strikes. It could have seen use as a blade as well, as most preforms probably did. There are pieces that are typed as blades which have the same diagnostic characteristics as those I mentioned but yours doesn't look as "finished" as most pieces that are typed as blades. It may be safest just to call it a biface and not fret over what was in the mind of its ancient owner and his or her intentions for the piece. It is a sure cool piece though!Stagger Lee/ SE Missouri
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ya im seeing a preform there
doesnt appear to have any finish work to the edge,and the edge is quite zig zagged yet
lots of good platforms there to finish that sucker up,i wonder why the old timer didnt finish it
the lithic looks amazing,not seeing anything in it that would have made me stop working it
nice find,congrats
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I don't think its flint river. I'd put money on it being a local MO lithic, probably from the lower to middle ordovician era, Ibexian or mohawkian series. Some of it is hard to identify away from the source since it looks so similar but if you know what formations are in your area and you can find chert in those sources it makes it alot easier to identify.
Armyman, Here is a link to a geologic map of missouri. It will show you what formations are in your area. In the legend there are brief descriptions of the makeup of each formation which makes it easier to figure out sources of chert. From there just Google away and hope that there are some pics from credible sources, or you could always go on field trips to find chert in source.
Stagger Lee/ SE Missouri
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Tim , it’s coming up on your one year since you joined . I went back and was looking at what you have found in this past 12 months and you have some nice finds .
I actually think this preform is one of your top finds . That’s just me I like tools and questionable finds .
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