Question about argillite points

[jrdewhirst]

I found this item yesterday on a RI beach. I assume that it is a well worn argillite knife point.



I notice that all of what appears like work was done around one edge and the base. The other edge was apparently fairly straight and sharp at the outset. Presumed flakes appear generally to have removed material over 1/4" or less. I know that argillite is difficult to work. So I asked myself, "What would the original point have looked like? And how would it have been manufactured?" This points suggests that the preform was already very point-like.

This makes sense. As argillite does not fracture like obsidian or flint or chert, I imagine that the artisan's options would be limited. If I had to knap argillite to make an arrow or knife point, I'd (1) smash / flake a rock into lots of pieces, (2) identify some pieces that were initially approximately the right shape, then (3) thin and sharpen the edges as possible. Since few if any flakes would carry for more than a fraction of an inch -- nowhere near half the width of the preform -- all of the work would impact the edges, as above. The central 80% of the point would be untouched.

So is this what I should look for in an argillite point? Much of the point -- especially the middle -- looks like no material was removed at all. But one edge and the base look worked, if worn.

[Hoss]

No pictures

[jrdewhirst]

I'll try again. FWIW, I see them. Is there a software glitch?

[kayakaddict]

Worn argillie beach finds ... can easily be overlooked. You're eyes might have found something here.
Argillite can be flaked long and thin, like corn chips, and yes, sometimes a blade make from a good size flake won't need much more work. Can we see more angles?
THanks for posting.

[tomf]

I know nothing about Argilite but I like the way you approach the diagnosis.

I think we all look at artifacts and try and reverse engineer their manufacture.

Of course, those who knapp have special knowledge (though I doubt many practice on material like Argilite) and it's always cool when they share their insight.

As far as your find goes, there are several RI specialists on this forum and I would trust their judgment.

[jrdewhirst]

Thanks. I have a question pending via PM to a new forum friend in RI.

FWIW, he has posted many pictures of worn argillite points, many of which to my untrained eye look similar to this one. In fact, it was his comments on the severe wear on argillite points found on the beach that led me to begin looking seriously at pieces such as this one.

[Looks2Much]

I have lots of argy pieces, I don’t think that’s a knife. I think it’s a large flake that resembles a point. It lacks any evidence of edge work which is much more apparent on argy pieces, even when heavily water worn. The stepped edges of a worked piece of argillite seem to never totally disappear. Maybe I’m missing something in the pics, but I don’t see a blade there. That’s just my opinion... see what others say

[jrdewhirst]

Looks2Much -- I've looked carefully at the edges and noted below any spot where there is a small depression that would appear to have resulted from a roughly conchoidal fracture that removed material. There is also a longer depression, forming a crude flute, beginning near the #7 in the picture immediately below, extending roughly 40% up the length of the point, ending in what appears to have been a lumpy step fracture just to the right off the #4.

The piece was very clearly chipped -- the question is whether it was random (Nature) or deliberate (human). As noted, I see signs of intent: the spacing of the presumed flakes and the absence of any such flakes on one whole side.

[CMD]

Our New England argillite has a platty fracture, and can water wear to the point of erasing the flaking entirely, or nearly so.

However, I have to be honest. IMHO, that is not New England argillite. Nor do I believe it is what I sometimes call an "erased point", resulting from water wear. I believe this is simply a rock, and not a flake of argillite. This is my honest opinion, based on decades of finding argillite points in RI, some in good shape, some very worn. That is just a rock.....

[jrdewhirst]

boo hoo

[CMD]

Looks2Much -- I've looked carefully at the edges and noted below any spot where there is a small depression that would appear to have resulted from a roughly conchoidal fracture that removed material. There is also a longer depression, forming a crude flute, beginning near the #7 in the picture immediately below, extending roughly 40% up the length of the point, ending in what appears to have been a lumpy step fracture just to the right off the #4.

The piece was very clearly chipped -- the question is whether it was random (Nature) or deliberate (human). As noted, I see signs of intent: the spacing of the presumed flakes and the absence of any such flakes on one whole side.

I'm sorry, but you are mistaken. It very clearly has not been chipped. You are fairly new at this, are you not? It will take time to learn how to recognize flaking, to recognize our local and regional lithics, etc. I have over 60 years experience in RI. And others here have decades of experience. Your best bet is to understand that we are not going to lead a beginner astray. Of course you have the absolute right to disagree. But I can tell you with 100% confidence that that does not show any man made flaking, or "chipping" whatsoever. Don't fight us on this. You are mistaken. We can help, but not if you decide we do not know what we are talkng about.

[SDhunter]

I agree with Charlie, although I have no experience with argillite, except what I see here. I’m not seeing an artifact. Sorry

[jrdewhirst]

kayakaddict -- Here're two shots from the side. First pic has the unworked side closest; second pic has the worked side closest. Note that the apparent change in color is due totally to lighting. The top picture was taken this morning in natural light; the bottom picture was taken last night in artificial light. The top picture is closer to the actual appearance.

[Olden]

perfect leaverite..

[jrdewhirst]

So I return to my original question. For the difficult materials commonly used in southern NE -- quartz, rhyolite, argillite -- what was the process for creating flakes small enough and thin enough to be worked into points?

[Pointhead]

Flint knapping was the process that allowed materials fo be flaked. Including hammerstones, indirect percussion and bone pressure flakers.

I don’t even believe the piece in question is an artifact. You asked the experts and when you didn’t like their opinion you continued to tell the experts they were wrong 🤷🏻♂️

[jrdewhirst]

No, I didn't. I just asked a question about technique (#12).

Part of the issue is that I composed two responses (#7, #11) to prior posts while others were responding (#8) to my initial post. My post #11 looks like a response to #8, 9, 10 but it wasn't.

[jrdewhirst]

OK, I'm just trying to learn. Whether the pictured piece is an artifact is not really terribly important to me. Yes, I am new to this hobby -- so teach me.

This is a picture of an argillite point collected in RI. The very experienced collector writes, "You want to see what water wear can do to our lithics, our argillite can be weathered to the point that the flaking is virtually erased. Here is such an argillite point. Argillite may be our poorest lithic, be it our local varieties, or something like Lockatong Argillite from Pa/NJ, which weathers worst of all. Unless one is used to finding points with this degree of water wear, one could easily just not collect this at all. Many, from outside our region, might very well say "that's just a rock", but, nope, this is an extreme case of water wear. I took to calling this degree an "erased point". >>

I ask in all sincerity what has it got that identifies it as an artifact?



Same question about another two from the same collector:



And two others from a different collector:



How do I identify these stones as something more than vaguely triangular pieces of rock? Thanks.

[Pointhead]

Argillite tends to fracture and layer forming little step fractures. And it shows well even when water worn