Is it is? or is it isn't?

**naturegirl** · Jul 19, 2009, 09:32 AM

My husband patted me on the head, and said "you'll be ok," with sympathy in his eyes. "It's just a rock." I say it's a tabular blank with a tool worked in the edge of it. Like uniface just said about archer's post. If it's just a rock, it sure fits comfortable in the hand, and it's the biggest flattest piece of this chert I've found, so it stays in the house. Thanks for looking,

ng

**uniface** · Jul 19, 2009, 10:16 AM

Yepper. Spokeshave (or "incurvate edge scraper" or whatever else works for you).

Key is that the semi-circular working edge shows multiple removals. If it were one flake out of the edge, you could call it accidental or damage. But when there are several, and they create a coherent shape like this, argument over.

Nice find !

**marty from missouri** · Jul 19, 2009, 10:26 AM

congrates its a keeper very nice find good luck in all your hunts and keep that 1 in the house.

marty

**naturegirl** · Jul 19, 2009, 12:21 PM

Spokeshave, wow thanks uniface. It was underwater, one of those shapes you spy and then scream, or at least catch your breath. What is amazing to me is how comfortable the tools, stones, fit in your hand. The spot that looks thumbshaped in the middle, and the angled edge makes it fit perfect in my hand. That's when your mind goes, OOH, human hands have shaped this. COOL! thanks!

naturegirl

**archer66** · Jul 19, 2009, 05:18 PM

Congrats on winning your argument with your husband....and for sticking to you guns and keeping the find. Anytime I find anything that fits my hand just so I hang onto it even when I cant say for sure it was intentionally shaped that way. That's exactly the way it went with the piece you mention from my other post. I picked it up because I could see that it had been knapped. There wasn't much of a pattern to the knapping but it just didn't look natural to me. The more I looked at it the more I became convinced that it was a tool. Now to get some better pics so the flaking "pattern" or lack thereof is visible and maybe uniface or someone else can for a better opinion about its origin.

**Tnmountains** · Jul 19, 2009, 05:44 PM

No doubt they took the time to make that tool and concentrated in knapping out that cup for a chore.
Great looking tool and really cool find. Big time keeper. Congratulations.
TnMtns

**artorius** · Jul 27, 2009, 01:51 PM

No doubt that was worth taking home.

I always take anything home that is questionable. After a wash :thumbsuping and examination, most of the time the question is removed against the item. But every now and then there is a piece I thank my lucky stars I did not leave on the field.

artorius

**terryo** · Jul 27, 2009, 10:49 PM

I agree, a "spokeshave".I have made similiar tools , and the wear pattern looks the same.I used mine to scrape and smooth walkingsticks, and arrowshafts, etc.

I'da brung it home too!

**sidmind** · Jul 28, 2009, 12:04 AM

My professional opinion is that it's just a geo fact.... oh wait, I don't have one of those. Just kidding Naturegirl, cool find.

**Jonnyreb** · Jul 28, 2009, 05:42 PM

Yep, I have to agree that it must be a spokeshave for making arrow or dart shafts. The secondary flaking is a dead giveaway. Nice material there. "So it stays in the house means you guys also have a pile outside?"

I have a nice rockgarden myself of brokes, manos, metates, hammerstones and the like here...Oh well.
Nice find though.

**MANCHU** · Jul 28, 2009, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by naturegirl

My husband patted me on the head, and said "you'll be ok," with sympathy in his eyes. "It's just a rock." I say it's a tabular blank with a tool worked in the edge of it. Like uniface just said about archer's post. If it's just a rock, it sure fits comfortable in the hand, and it's the biggest flattest piece of this chert I've found, so it stays in the house. Thanks for looking,

ng

Good Job Naturegirl ! It is a artifact, I have one almost like it. It's a hafting tool i think, AGAIN GOOD JOB!