Need antler flaker artifact information - blunt tines, etc

[BenjaminE]

Hello Fellow Enthusiasts,

I am looking for information on antler flakers. I am interested in any kinds of flakers, and all kinds of flakers.

I am also interested in any kinds of flakes that might be associated with the flakers. So, don't be afraid to post any potential flakers, and/or potential flakes.

The first kind of flaker that I am hoping to find more information on is what I consider to be a "blunt tine flaker". This is a flaker that has an end, with a blunted tine. If anyone knows of any artifacts that are so old that they are fossilized, that would be fine. Newer specimens would be fine, too.

Here is a modern example of one such a flaker, along with a closeup of the blunted tip, and examples of a flake made with the flaker. If you want to post any examples of similar flakes, and flakers, that would be fine. All info is welcome:





This type of flake travels across the face of the stone, and turns through the opposite edge. If you have found similar flakes, in the presence of any antler tools - especially blunted tines - please feel free to post:













If anyone can share any examples of similar flakers, and flakes, an accompanying history of the find would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ben

 

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[The Grim Reaper]

Ben, I think you already have pictures of all of mine. I may have a few new ones though. I'll look through my pictures and see if I can find some. I could post the old ones again too if needed.

 

[BenjaminE]

Ben, I think you already have pictures of all of mine. I may have a few new ones though. I'll look through my pictures and see if I can find some. I could post the old ones again too if needed.

Hello Steve,

Sorry for the long hiatus. I started studying antler drifts/antler cylinders like yours, in 2010.

This year, I have had two major breakthroughs, after five years of study. One breakthrough pertains to outrepasse flaking, with a common deer tine. And, the other breakthrough pertains to antler drifts/antler cylinders, like the ones shown in your collection.

Here are some examples of outrepasse/fluting flaking with a common deer tine:

#1 Outrepasse flake





#2 Outrepasse in Quartz crystal





Example #3 Coast to Coast flakes followed by outrepasse flake





Example #4 Coast to Coast on back of unifacial spall







Example #5 Outrepasse flaking







Example #6 Outrepasse and fluting





Example #7 Fluting





Example #8 Backside of outrepasse flake - parting around divot



Example #9 Outrepasse flake

 

[BenjaminE]

Example #10 - Outrepasse from raw agatized coral







Example #12 - Outrepasse in re-working projectile point











This flaking was not developed from experimentation. At the end of 2014, I realized that my experiments seem to be hitting some sort of "invisible wall". And, there was something that I could not understand: There are two types of full length flaking that generate large, long flakes - hammerstone outrepasse flaking, and bipolar flaking. Both types of flaking leave particular marks. And, late stage Clovis outrepasse flaking almost mimics the other two types of flaking, in terms of length. Only, the process does not leave the same types of marks, plus the break turns 90 degrees prior to reaching the opposite edge (as you can see in my flaking).

So, I struggled to understand how this could be? I spent months going back and forth between the other two types of flaking, while trying to find a solution that applied to late stage controlled Clovis overshot. But, it never made any sense.

Then, one day, as I was thinking about this, in January of 2015, I had two epiphanies back to back. I suddenly saw what would cause the break to turn, in late stage Clovis overshot flaking. And, I saw why it would not leave any marks, as can be seen in the other two technologies. At that same time, I saw that a matching process was found in an extant flintknapping process, that had been recorded during the 19th century, but that had never been understood. And, I realized that the outrepasse effect would have been created as part of a broader range of flaking. At that point, I grabbed a deer tine, ran outside, and belted out a coast to coast flake, followed by an outrepasse flake, within fifteen minutes. Suddenly, I was able to do more in fifteen minutes - with a common deer tine - that I had been able to do the previous four years.

Anyway, this flaking could be relevant to anyone who finds blunt tipped tine artifacts.


Also, here is a different type of flaking, that may relate to the type of antler cylinders that you previously showed.

 

[southfork]

I'm not a knapper so are you saying it's taken five years for you to reach this level ?

 

[Jon Stewart]

You look to be running some nice flakes on what appears to be raw Texas rock.

 

[BenjaminE]

I'm not a knapper so are you saying it's taken five years for you to reach this level ?

No, these are flaking results from flaking processes that were not known to modern science. I found evidence that such processes existed, via archaeological evidence, historical evidence, and ethnographic evidence. I had an idea about the tools. But, I did not know how it worked. It took five years to figure out how to use the tools, to make the processes work.

The problem is that our modern flintknapping theories were mostly put together by European academics, who had almost no knowledge of New World flintknapping. The original flintknapping model was based upon hammerstone percussion. By the end of the 18th century, people in Europe came to realize that there were clear associations of what they called "pebble hammers", and ancient chipped stone tool production. So, a great deal of early experimentation, primarily during the 19th century, was focused on the use of "pebble hammers" - what we would call hammerstones.

During that time, many in Europe speculated that the red man of the American continents still possessed stone tool manufacture technologies, since the Americas were discovered to be in the Stone Age, in 1492, and the red men were known to still be making stone tools, in some areas, during the 19th century. The publication of Catlin's two man indirect percussion account was printed in 1867, and widely cited throughout Europe. Unfortunately, it was poorly understood, and Catlin died just a few years after publication.

Then, a European researcher published a work, probably ten years after Catlin, which likened ancient stone tool production, to the work of the modern-day British gunflint knappers. Once again, the focus shifted back from indirect percussion, to direct percussion. But, by the end of the 19th century, it was determined that there were certain limiting factors in hammerstone direct percussion. And, these limiting factors made it more and more difficult to do a good job, as the point became thinner, and flatter. As a result, European academics adopted the use of the "pressure flaker", into their paradigm.

Still, between these two flaking processes, there appeared to be a missing intermediate flaking, larger than pressure flakes, but finer than percussion flakes. This missing flaking eluded researchers. Meanwhile, the information from the Americas seemed to be all but lost, since the work had previously been in the hands of specialists. And, most work had been phased out by the early 19th century. So, between the 1920's and 1930's researchers began to give up on the hammerstone plus pressure flaker model.

Then, during the 1930's, an English researcher by the name of Barnes carried out a series of baton experiments, in his laboratory, in London. He struck a block of chert with a wooden baton, and antler baton, an ivory hammer, and a piece of brass. The flakes that most resembled the ancient flakes, were the antler baton flakes. This spawned a new theory - the intermediate flakes could have been made via an antler baton. This theory was further developed by Louis Leakey in the 1940's, then by Francois Bordes in the 1950's, and then brought to American television via the work of Don Crabtree, in the 1960's.

In 2010, I was doing research on a very obscure form of Lacandon flintknapping, that involves holding a small antler punch between two fingers, next to a piece of stone, and striking with a striker in the other hand. While trying to find further information, I stumbled upon a small tool known as "antler drift", which is a flintknapping tool common to North America, and comparable to a small cylinder of antler, about one centimeter thick, and one and a half to two and a half inches long. "Grim Reaper" posted some here, sometime back.

The peculiar thing about the antler drift cylinders is that archaeologists suspected that they were used in the indirect percussion flaking of chert, for about one century, going back to the early 1900's. But, no one ever knew how such work was carried out.

My guess was that there should have been some carryover, somewhere, into the historical era. And, from that information I hoped to put together how the tool was once used. After spending several years sifting through several thousand sources of material, what I discovered is that there was a great deal of evidence of various forms of sophisticated indirect percussion being used, among Native American flintknappers.

As a result of all of this evidence, I broadened all of my experiments, to see whether something would lead to an answer regarding antler drift flaking cylinders. The irony is that I appear to have discovered the full blown paleoindian outrepasse flaking technology, before I discovered a possible answer to the antler drift question. Meanwhile, by 2011, I pretty much gave up on the antler baton theory, for lack of critical evidence.

Here is the crux of the problem. The European academics who came up with theories, and paradigms, that are still being taught today did not anticipate the degree to which prehistoric American flintknappers blended their technologies. In other words, the Europeans gave a crisp, clear cut understanding of "direct percussion", "pressure flaking", etc. Each tool, and tool process, produced (at least in theory) a straightforward, and definable, effect. It is all linear thinking.

The problem with trying to apply this thinking to more recent historical evidence, ethnographic evidence, etc, is that no one has ever PROVEN that ancient knappers took the same approach. To the contrary, even accounts from the 19th century show that Native American flintknappers were using blends of technologies. And, this is something that is never understood by modern flintknappers. The secret is that by creating blends of flaking technologies, the flintknapper can create secondary flaking forces, that cannot be directly created. This is the epiphany that I had in January of 2015. And, that is why I was immediately able to produce full length Clovis style outrepasse flakes, with a common deer tine, just fifteen minutes after having the epiphany. Now, how the First Americans understood all of this, I have no earthly clue... I looked at the evidence everyday, for five years, before I understood what was going on.

Anyway, very few people have interest in "flakers". They are more interested in "finished points". But, if people show their flakers, I may be able to show a possible, or even probable, use of the flaker.

 

[BenjaminE]

I'm not a knapper so are you saying it's taken five years for you to reach this level ?

Short answer: It took five years of book study, to come to understand how to create these full length overshot flakes, with a common deer tine. Once I understood it, it actually took about fifteen minutes to produce the first controlled overshot, with a deer tine.

If people post their American flakers, I may be able to identify how they were used. Much of it is not known to modern science, because the bulk of current theories - like the antler baton theory - were drummed up in European laboratories.

 

[BenjaminE]

You look to be running some nice flakes on what appears to be raw Texas rock.

Hello Jon,

You are right about it being raw. Only, the rock is from Belize. Most modern day flintknappers cook it for up to 15 hours. And, many do not like it, due to hardness. In this case, I am running the technologies on the stone, in raw form.

If you have any antler flakers - or suspected flakers - feel free to post them.

Ben

 

[Trooper733]

Ben,
What is the approximate angle of the tool when accomplishing these type of overshoot flakes, and are you still bringing your platforms below centerline for the flaking?
Very cool to be able to do that consistently, especially on raw rock. You must have some honking forearm strength!

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Benjamin, here are a few more pictures of what you may be looking for. In the first two pictures are a couple more Antler Drifts that I found recently. Both are from the Fuert Site in Scioto county Ohio as are all of the rest. All personal finds as well.

The pieces at the top and bottom and to the right in the 3rd picture all show evidence on the ends of being used a Flakers. Lots of use wear and polish.

In the 4th picture every piece of Antler shows those same traits.

The last two pictures are a few more Antler Drifts I acquired a while back from the Bill Wertz collection and all from the Hardin Village Site.

 

[rock]

Now thats something I found a one that is hard as rock and have been wondering for months what the heck it was. Now I know.

 

[BenjaminE]

Benjamin, here are a few more pictures of what you may be looking for. In the first two pictures are a couple more Antler Drifts that I found recently. Both are from the Fuert Site in Scioto county Ohio as are all of the rest. All personal finds as well.

The pieces at the top and bottom and to the right in the 3rd picture all show evidence on the ends of being used a Flakers. Lots of use wear and polish.

In the 4th picture every piece of Antler shows those same traits.

The last two pictures are a few more Antler Drifts I acquired a while back from the Bill Wertz collection and all from the Hardin Village Site.

Steve, Thanks for posting those. Also, I have been trying to send some photos to Palmwood. But, my email does not work in my Arrowheadology account, any longer.

In January of 2015 - after over four years of continuous study - I finally understood some Native American historical records about flintknapping. And, fifteen minutes later, I was able to produce outrepasse flaking with a common deer tine. Anyway, Palmwood was always sympathetic to my views. So, I was hoping to share the final development with him. Also, the artifact people are more versed in authentic flaking, then I am. So, they would know better, when it comes to judging flaking. Also, I will try to use your flaker data artifacts to recreate another type of flaking, in the near future.

Anyway, if you can share my tine-based outrepasse photos with Palmwood, it would be greatly appreciated. I simply have no way to reach him. Also, here is another example, though it is only coast to coast, and not outrepasse:













Resulting coast to coast flake scar:



This was all made with the same technologies that I tried to get people in the flintknapping community to look at between, 2010 and 2011. Fortunately, for me, it finally all made sense, in 2015. The tine based flaking process covers regular flaking, coast to coast flaking, overshot flaking, and fluting.

If anyone else has photos of flaker artifacts, feel free to post them.

 

[BenjaminE]

Now thats something I found a one that is hard as rock and have been wondering for months what the heck it was. Now I know.

Hello Rock,

That sounds REALLY INTERESTING! Do you think that you might have a fossilized antler tool, or cylinder flaker?? I have a theory that these tools - like Steve Valentine's cylinders - came from the paleoindian era. The reason that I say this is because they appeared on the archaic horizon, in various parts of North America.

If you happen to have a photo, and dimensions, and some background info, I would really like to hear about it.

Thanks,

Ben

 

[monsterrack]

BenjaminE what you are talking about is indirect percussion flaking if I understand you, using a antler punch and a object to strike it. Correct me if I am wrong on what I think you are saying. if I am right on what you are saying this style has been around in modern times, it's just most knappers did not feel the need to or won't to try to learn this, since knapping is hard to learn to most folks. Once they could make a point they saw no use in using this style or taking the time to master it. It's good to see someone take the time to understand fracture mechanics.

 

[stefen]

There are any number of flakes around.

 

[BenjaminE]

BenjaminE what you are talking about is indirect percussion flaking if I understand you, using a antler punch and a object to strike it. Correct me if I am wrong on what I think you are saying. if I am right on what you are saying this style has been around in modern times, it's just most knappers did not feel the need to or won't to try to learn this, since knapping is hard to learn to most folks. Once they could make a point they saw no use in using this style or taking the time to master it. It's good to see someone take the time to understand fracture mechanics.

Hello Monstertrack,

The process is a fusion of pressure, leverage, and indirect percussion. The combination of forces creates an additional force, that cannot be directly made. It is the additional force that creates the outrepasse flake, where the break turns up to ninety degrees around the opposite edge.

The reason that people do not do it is because they do not know about it. I figured it out after studying thousands of historical records over a period of around four years. The late stage outrepasse break is also the hallmark sign of Clovis flintknapping technology. Most modern knappers use some form of baton method. The flintknapping baton method was created in England, during the 1930's. The really good counterfeiters figured out that they could do a better job with copper batons, than either wood or antler batons. So, a switch occurred about fifteen years ago, in the flintknapping community.

In my case, I don't see sufficient evidence to warrant belief in "baton flaking", in prehistoric America. I think that the evidence points to other technologies that were superior, but a bit more sophisticated than simply direct percussion.

Anyway, I think that a probable flaker, from prehistoric North America would look like a blunted tine. Here is one such example, along with an outrepasse flake, made with the same blunted tine:

Blunted tine:





Here is an outrepasse flake removed with the tine - notice the curl around the edge, on the far right side:



Here is the flake dismounted, with the sharp angle of the curled termination showing:



Here is the flake refit:





Here are some other non-outrepasse flakes made with the same process:





Anyway, my guess is that some of the people in the collecting community, like Grim Reaper, may have run across blunt tines, and not realized that they could have been "primo" flint-flakers. If anyone has any suspected flaker, feel free to share it in this post.

 

[rock]

Wish I could but my comp isnt taking any new pics for some reason wont upload them at all.