The mystery of antler drift flaking cylinders

[BenjaminE]

They have been digging these cylinders up in North America, since the late 19th century. How they were used has been a longstanding mystery. I believe Don Crabtree worked with them for about 45 minutes, and said that they were of "limited value". Yet, all the records point to an intense record of use going back to the advent of the archaic era, in many places. So, if anyone can figure it out, it will resolve a very longstanding mystery that has endured for a century.

 

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[The Grim Reaper]

I've shown you these before so you know they all come from Ft Ancient sites in my area. I have never seen them on Early Woodland or Archaic sites here.

 

[catherine1]

I found one in my Ft. Ancient midden (500 AD). I assume they were used for pressure flaking........just like tine points.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Forty years of surface hunting plus digging with Dr. Gramly and I've never seen one found. They didn't use them in my neck of the woods. I did find an antler billet though. That's what they used here for knapping. Gary

 

[Greg Lafla]

Not everything needs a use, some things are just meant to look at.

 

[Greg Lafla]

And if you close one eye and stand on the other foot you'll see it too.

 

[Greg Lafla]

It is my and others contention there is art by removal of cortex to produce images of a reflective nature.

 

[Greg Lafla]

No claim as to image in pic just a good example of the reflection.

 

[BenjaminE]

I've shown you these before so you know they all come from Ft Ancient sites in my area. I have never seen them on Early Woodland or Archaic sites here.

Yes, you have the best, and most awesome, flintknapping punch collection on the internet!

My guess is that the reason you find them on the Ft. Ancient sites is due to late age. But, they actually were continually used on record going back to the advent of the archaic era in many places.

One of the earliest clear records I have found, so far, is from Russell Cave. I know you know your points, so you will probably recognize the ages, here.









Check out that drift flaker!

As I am sure that you know, this is advent of the archaic era level material. And, there are perfect antler drifts!

This year, I was unexpectedly able to tie another line of evidence, that took years to resolve, with the antler drifts. So, the technology behind the flaking that is shown above has never been seen by anyone. There is the tool. But no one knows, or can imagine, how that flaking was produced. Here are some more examples of the drift being used in conjunction with the same technology that was recorded elsewhere:






There are at least four archaeologists who have expressed an interest in publishing. So, we will see how it goes.

 

[BenjaminE]

I found one in my Ft. Ancient midden (500 AD). I assume they were used for pressure flaking........just like tine points.

Do you have a photo? It could be a tool of indirect percussion.

 

[BenjaminE]

Forty years of surface hunting plus digging with Dr. Gramly and I've never seen one found. They didn't use them in my neck of the woods. I did find an antler billet though. That's what they used here for knapping. Gary

If you are in Illinois, they used drifts for flaking stone, there.

1950 - ""Stone working tools from a kit found in the tomb of Wh, flint flake, b. ANTLER DRIFTERS or PUNCHES for INDIRECT FLAKING of flint (percussion), c. antler tines for pressure flaking," (Journal of the Illinois State Archaeological Society)

1951 - "Numerous examples of flat stone tablets associated with a number of SHORT SOLID ANTLER CYLINDERS..." - Illinois State Museum,

1951 - "DRIFT (rarely drifter) : A blunt tool of antler or bone presumably held in the hand and pressed against a flint to flake it, or one held against the flint piece and struck with a hammer for a like purpose." (Story of Illinois series: Números 7-13)

1952 - "With the exception of three ANTLER DRIFTERS and a bone object that may have been a knife, these objects are ... The list of tools is as follows : a flint flake knife, six ANTLER DRIFTERS or PUNCHES, two antler tines or pressure flaking..." (Hopewellian communities in Illinois, Thorne Deuel)

1957 - "Two examples of curved sub-cylindrical sections of dressed antler were recovered (Figure 19, 25, 26). Wedel's party also recovered objects of this type, and Wedel suggests that they may have functioned as "rubbing tools" (Wedel, 1943, p.44). Neumann and Fowler, however, who recovered objects of this type in an Illinois mound, identify them as PUNCHES or DRIFTS used in flint working (Neumann and Fowler, 1952, p. 202)." - (The Missouri archaeologist: Volumes 19-21)

1961 - "A single DRIFT OF DEER ANTLER(Odocoileus virginianus) was found with Burial M5-8 (Figs. 42h, 43b). It is 8.7 cm. in length, with one end l.6 cm. in diameter and the other l. 25 cm." - Chicago area archaeology - Illinois Archaeological Survey

1968 - "Burial 6 was associated with a small tool kit including four ANTLER DRIFTS, one hammerstone, and one limestone slab probably used as an abrader." - (The lithic industries of the Illinois Valley in the early and , Anta Montet-White)

1969 – “ANTLER DRIFTS or "PUNCHES" (Plate 18 b,i,l) Robeson Hills: Four pieces of deer antler have flattened, slightly convex tips, and may have been utilized in chert working as DRIFTS." - - Riverton Culture - Late Archaic, Illinois

1970 - "C°4-12 is an ANTLER DRIFT found six inches over the center of the south side of the burial pit. It is 13.0 cm. long, cut and ground on both ends and ground over the entire surface. C°4-13, -14, and -15 are flint points found scattered" - The burial complexes of the Knight and Norton mounds in Illinois

FISHER MOUND ANTLER DRIFTS:











"EM 115-116. Objects under skulls - in part. 2 long deer metacarpal draw-knives, a deer astragalus,1 stone celt, 1 STONE TABLET with 4 BONE CYLINDERS, 1 antler point, 1 beaver incisor tooth, 3 chert arrowpoints, small mammal jaw and metatarsal bone of wild turkey."

"f. EM 83. Stone tablet with 7 antler cylinders adhering (2 broken off)."

"The smooth stone tablet and bone cylinders in lower right corner were with meso EM 83 female Adult in Zone 1 of Middle Level."

a. EM 83. Stone tablet with 7 antler points adhering.

"A dark green polished stone tablet and four antler cylinders completed the list of bone objects with this burial, plate XVII, b. The tablet is Celt-shaped, although thin and with well rounded edges. The cylinders are rather flat on one surface, round on the other. The largest is 82.5 mm long and 12.7 mm greatest diameter, the smallest 55.7 mmX7 mm. They adhered to the tablet when I found them."





"There was one flattened piece pointed at each end, and several other larger broken points. Adhering to a rudely shaped flat stone tablet were 6 cylinders of antler flattened on one side and the ends rounded like those found with WM 49. A third example occurred with a young female adult EM 83. The tablet 105 mm long and 48 mm wide is celt-shaped in outline although only 16 mm thick without used edges and unpolished. Six of the antler cylinders adhered to one edge of the tablet, four to one surface, lying close and parallel to one another, large and small ones alternating, plate XVII, f, plate XXI, a. The large cylinders are about 40 mm long and 11 mm wide, the small ones 35 mm by 8 mm."





"EM 83, a young female adult with new-born infant, had a small triangular chert arrowpoint under the left clavicle and a bored round bone point between the left radius and ulna. Close to the head was a crude celt-like stone tablet with 10 bone cylinders adhering to it, cemented there by a tenacious gritty substance."

"My article referred to the locality as one unique in this region, mainly because of the great abundance of small triangular and, slender chert arrowpoints together with the rejects and refuse of their manufacture. It also contains shell spoons, POLISHED BONE CYLINDERS, edged hammerstones, grooved sandstones, polished antler points, cut or bored, hollowed-out deer and elk phalanges, and bone pins. These and the potsherds, also the animal bones, agree with those from the Fisher site." (The Fisher Mound Group, Successive Aboriginal Occupations near the Mouth of the Illinois River, George Langford)