scepter1
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Post by scepter1 on Apr 11, 2011 12:45:06 GMT -5
This basalt object was found some time ago on a privately owned beach in Puget Sound. It's has an inner and outer curve. The inner curve is smooth and a little more than 1/4" thick that gradually tapers off toward the slightly larger outer curve. Each end is also tapered towards it's outer edge. Towards each end is a slightly larger notch on the outer edge. Attachments:
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Post by FrogAndBearCreations on Apr 11, 2011 14:51:45 GMT -5
looks like some sort of scraper or cutting blade
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Fossilman
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Post by Fossilman on Apr 11, 2011 18:11:31 GMT -5
Looks like a scrapper for skinning animal hides-cool find!
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agatemaggot
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Post by agatemaggot on Apr 11, 2011 18:34:02 GMT -5
Quite a few of those have been found in areas where there were old shallow lakes in the western U.S. and on Islands off shore. They are referred to as Crescents and there is some debate as to WHAT they were used for. You might like to check out ALL the theories by searching crescent artifacts on Google.
Harley
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scepter1
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Post by scepter1 on Apr 17, 2011 23:56:03 GMT -5
Thanks Harley. With your suggestion, I spent several hours checking out crescents via google... Saw lots and lots of crescents, and I don't think that's what I have. And you're right, there's no decision as to what the crescents were used for. IMHO, they're a good shape for cleaning/skinning waterfowl...
Still haven't seen anything quite like this one. Anyone have some favorite links with photos?
Rich.
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on Apr 18, 2011 9:02:16 GMT -5
Yeah, I've hunted a lot of artifacts and haven't seen anything quite like that. The curve does match some ulu type blades I've found, so I'd also guess some kind of skinning implement....Mel
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MikeS
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Post by MikeS on Apr 22, 2011 17:13:04 GMT -5
hmmm......I'm guessing that's a "naturefact" and not a human-tooled artifact....
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stefan
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Post by stefan on Apr 26, 2011 12:46:03 GMT -5
I have to agree with mike- I'm not so sure that is a human tool. In the picture it just does not look like it has been worked. It is still cool looking and makes one wonder...
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scepter1
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Post by scepter1 on May 6, 2011 1:59:14 GMT -5
"I have to agree with mike- I'm not so sure that is a human tool. In the picture it just does not look like it has been worked"
It was found on a tidal beach & it's features have all been subject to many years of wear by waves/sand/gravel. My wife and I both have found basalt arrowheads in roughly the same spot.
Rich.
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on May 6, 2011 9:31:32 GMT -5
I still think it's probably man made. Back when I used to hunt a ranch in the volcanic area of NE California, I used to find a few basalt pieces and almost all had that similar curve. Sometimes they were just plain blades, sometime bifaces and sometimes unifaced artifacts. Here's a basalt knife from that area that even has small perforator point on one end. It's convex on top and flat on the bottom with just the edged flaked. It's kind of stream worn but knapped without a doubt. Thing with the Amerinds is they often worked an item just enough to serve their purpose but the item Rich has pictures looks awful symmetrical to be an item made by natural forces and the edge looks worked to me......Mel
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scepter1
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Post by scepter1 on May 7, 2011 1:31:51 GMT -5
I didn't realize when I first posted this that it might be questionable if man-made vs. a natural object. Here's a little more info: There are no basalt outcrops anywhere on or nearby this island beach. The island itself was created some 13-14 thousand years ago by the last glacial epoch when this area was under thousands of feet of ice. The beach is typical unsorted glacial till with a wide variety of rock types; the area in which this was found has mainly pea sized gravel (no larger basalt rocks) -> it appeared out of place, which is why I picked it up. That's actually my searching techinque here - glacier till and beach rocks are rounded, and anything with a newer appearing edge is suspect. Most arrowheads we've found have been made from harder agate and jasper materials. The few basalt ones found have been water/beach worn - I'll take a photo and post a sample. Rich. Attachments:
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Sabre52
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Post by Sabre52 on May 7, 2011 11:36:51 GMT -5
Yep Rich, that piece definitely is knapped for a purpose. As someone has mentioned, it shows some of the characteristics of a crescent. Most crescents I've found are pointy ended but here's one that is a bit canoe shaped and squared off. Yours may simply be a crescent variant. I don't know if anyone knows what crescents were for but all I've found have been in association with projectile points and knives etc..Mel
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scepter1
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Post by scepter1 on May 7, 2011 23:53:28 GMT -5
Thanks Mel. Although it doesn't exactly match photos of crescents I've been able to find online so far, you are probably correct that it is varient of a crescent tool... Must mean it's rare Here' s couple more basalt finds from the same area. You can see that they are also beach worn... -Rich. Attachments:
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