That's what I thought the big one was a preform.
Gator, Rock has done his homework. When he says "wavy edge" I suppose utilized is a better word selection. You know I love you brother! However, I have to credit Rock on his hard work. I know I'm in rhyolite country, but I think utilized edges on any lithic pretty well indicates job functionality. If natives salvaged this little pieceI'm willing to bet a good majority of the pieces you're calling scrapers were discarded and never finished or just reduction flakes to begin with. Not trying to pick at you.. Just saying a lot of people for some reason have the tendency to think everything is a complete tool when reality is there's loads more scrap from making one complete piece then there is finished tools out there
On all four edges? Let's say its a square flake. I'm not arguing either. Just talk/ debate views.Then I have to question if you've ever watched any amount of knapping done. There's a mountain of flakes underneath someone making a single bi face. There's also a lot of edge work done to set up an edge for further thinning.. of said bi face.. The results of that is many of the flakes removed will have what looks like edge work.. Which technically it is but it was not for creating a tool out of that particular flake I'm not looking to argue I realize rock has done a lot of homework I also remember him making entire frames out of flakes. "Wavy" does not equal utilized.
We are walking all over this fellas thread. The original poster has a beautiful preform. I'll keep this short original poster! Paul, yes I consider my pic. A flake. It was picked up at a quarry site. I know where a quarry is and would be happy to take you there. I think flakes as well as scrapers can be misunderstood, that is, until you see a quarry or a well used knapping ground. It all falls together once you walk that quarry site. I'll try starting a thread on scrapers and how they differ from flakes. It should be fun. Original poster, sorry to snake your thread once again!!Rusty, so you are calling the piece shown in your palm a flake. I always thought that the flakes would be the smaller piece that were knapped off of the larger portion. I also would think of that piece as a crude tool that was useful but had no need for refinement. I'm not sure though.