Paleo knife?

Rust Collector · 27th June 2011, 06:37 PM

My pictures are lacking and I will try to get a better shot of the edge. It is also a river find so the edges are rounded a litttle but it cleary shows percusion and pressure flacking and the base is ground round where it would be held.

David · 27th June 2011, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rust Collector

My pictures are lacking and I will try to get a better shot of the edge. It is also a river find so the edges are rounded a litttle but it cleary shows percusion and pressure flacking and the base is ground round where it would be held.

I think the point the others are trying to make is that this is not a suitable material for the type of tool you are hoping this is. Paleo man didn't hold any college degrees, but he had "street" smarts. Sedimentary rock would not be his mineral of choice for such a tool.

spiral · 27th June 2011, 11:22 PM

I must say on a purley factual level some stone age tools were of sedimentry rocks, I guess people on occasion used whatever was to hand.I agree the were not the tool or weapon of choice of course though.

But having seen many thousands of admitadly mostly mesolithic tools dug & itemsed, as well as having owned & studied the personal collection of an archaelogist that was aquired & dug from m 3 continents mostly between the world wars, I tottaly agree with evryone else this is a possibly frost & or certanly mechanichly damaged & water rolled stone, shaped by the forces of nature.

Many Victorian archaelogists fell for their charms as well, there often called Eoliths.

Some still believe in them. Ive even wanted to myself

on one occasion.

spiral

Atlantia · 27th June 2011, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spiral

I must say on a purley factual level some stone age tools were of sedimentry rocks, I guess people on occasion used whatever was to hand.I agree the were not the tool or weapon of choice of course though.

But having seen many thousands of admitadly mostly mesolithic tools dug & itemsed, as well as having owned & studied the personal collection of an archaelogist that was aquired & dug from m 3 continents mostly between the world wars, I tottaly agree with evryone else this is a possibly frost & or certanly mechanichly damaged & water rolled stone, shaped by the forces of nature.

Many Victorian archaelogists fell for their charms as well, there often called Eoliths.

Some still believe in them. Ive even wanted to myself

on one occasion.

spiral

Hi Jonathan

Axes and the like, I've seen (had) made from softer materials, greensand etc, but they're often ceremonial or status pieces.

Not knives though, unless it's something like Obsidian (and volcanic glass isn;t the same thing of course)

Although my experience (as that of most I guess) is based on the far more plentiful later stone tools, dating through to the EBA.
I've still got a box of flints somewhere, only a few that are still to hand:

spiral · 28th June 2011, 12:07 AM

I agree Gene, Ive never seen a sedimentry knife, I took the butchering comment to mean something heavier, but thats my error perhaps...

I am away for a couple of days but we must talk about flints sometime, they were my speciality & obsession for a long time. {I prefer the one on the left.}

Spiral

Rust Collector · 28th June 2011, 01:15 AM

This object is NOT made of soft rock or sedimentary rock! It passes the steel test. I Believe it to be a chert.

katana · 28th June 2011, 04:03 PM

Hi
Chert is a form of sedimentary rock. Notice the whitish flecks (inclusions). Chert varies both in colour and hardness.

" .....Chert is a microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline sedimentary rock material composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2). It occurs as nodules, concretionary masses and as layered deposits. Chert breaks with a conchoidal fracture, often producing very sharp edges. Early people took advantage of how chert breaks and used it to fashion cutting tools and weapons......"

Cryptocrystalline is a rock texture made up of such minute crystals that its crystalline nature is only vaguely revealed even microscopically in thin section by transmitted polarized light. Among the sedimentary rocks, chert and flint are cryptocrystalline.

A microcrystalline material is a crystallized substance or rock that contains small crystals visible only through microscopic examination

Judging, again, by the pictures there seems to be inclusions which are not crypto/micro crystalline. Perhaps some clear close-ups might help of the rock surface and percusion / pressure flaking areas.

Kind Regards David

27th June 2011, 06:37 PM	#1
Rust Collector Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 11	My pictures are lacking and I will try to get a better shot of the edge. It is also a river find so the edges are rounded a litttle but it cleary shows percusion and pressure flacking and the base is ground round where it would be held.

27th June 2011, 11:22 PM	#3
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	I must say on a purley factual level some stone age tools were of sedimentry rocks, I guess people on occasion used whatever was to hand.I agree the were not the tool or weapon of choice of course though. But having seen many thousands of admitadly mostly mesolithic tools dug & itemsed, as well as having owned & studied the personal collection of an archaelogist that was aquired & dug from m 3 continents mostly between the world wars, I tottaly agree with evryone else this is a possibly frost & or certanly mechanichly damaged & water rolled stone, shaped by the forces of nature. Many Victorian archaelogists fell for their charms as well, there often called Eoliths. Some still believe in them. Ive even wanted to myself on one occasion. spiral

28th June 2011, 12:07 AM	#5
spiral Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 1,712	I agree Gene, Ive never seen a sedimentry knife, I took the butchering comment to mean something heavier, but thats my error perhaps... I am away for a couple of days but we must talk about flints sometime, they were my speciality & obsession for a long time. {I prefer the one on the left.} Spiral

28th June 2011, 01:15 AM	#6
Rust Collector Member Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 11	This object is NOT made of soft rock or sedimentary rock! It passes the steel test. I Believe it to be a chert.

28th June 2011, 04:03 PM	#7
katana Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Kent Posts: 2,658	Hi Chert is a form of sedimentary rock. Notice the whitish flecks (inclusions). Chert varies both in colour and hardness. " .....Chert is a microcrystalline or cryptocrystalline sedimentary rock material composed of silicon dioxide (SiO2). It occurs as nodules, concretionary masses and as layered deposits. Chert breaks with a conchoidal fracture, often producing very sharp edges. Early people took advantage of how chert breaks and used it to fashion cutting tools and weapons......" Cryptocrystalline is a rock texture made up of such minute crystals that its crystalline nature is only vaguely revealed even microscopically in thin section by transmitted polarized light. Among the sedimentary rocks, chert and flint are cryptocrystalline. A microcrystalline material is a crystallized substance or rock that contains small crystals visible only through microscopic examination Judging, again, by the pictures there seems to be inclusions which are not crypto/micro crystalline. Perhaps some clear close-ups might help of the rock surface and percusion / pressure flaking areas. Kind Regards David