Thumb Scraper Core?

[IMAUDIGGER]

What do you think? Useful piece of jasper, or remnants of a useful stone?

 

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[IMAUDIGGER]

Large chunks of anything are pretty scarce round here.

 

[Garscale]

That's a core and a dang nice one. Very possible that's Clovis.

 

[antmike915]

I believe it's a core as well; Beautiful material.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

That's a core and a dang nice one. Very possible that's Clovis.

I’m ignorant, what about it is similar to Clovis era/culture? I’m half thinking you are kidding me, but I’m open to learning. Fossilized mammoth bones were excavated in a local gravel pit...maybe mastodon?

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Pretty good match?

Thumb scraper found 200' away.
(The real) Northern California.

(Better photo)



Super excited as this would be my first core found.
Nothing like these exotic blades and points that you guys find, but I'm really interested in learning day to day life things...how tools were made and used, ect.
How the heck these people survived and sometimes thrived by utilizing stones.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

Similar to this?


Kind of looks similiar.

 

[ToddsPoint]

If you don't have much flint that could have been a small core. A small flake knocked off of it would be like a disposable razor blade and good for a few cuts. Gary

 

[Garscale]

If you don't have much flint that could have been a small core. A small flake knocked off of it would be like a disposable razor blade and good for a few cuts. Gary

I agree Gary. In lithic poor areas like he said he is in.. Cores will be small.


Edit...if that is the same item in the pic with the thumb scraper ..... It doesn't like lime I thought. I thought it was basically a pyramid in the first pics?

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I agree Gary. In lithic poor areas like he said he is in.. Cores will be small.


Edit...if that is the same item in the pic with the thumb scraper ..... It doesn't like lime I thought. I thought it was basically a pyramid in the first pics?

Those first pics are pretty representative of the shape..I updated that poor pic in the previous post.

Here are two more photos.
It's pretty much a triangular shaped wedge, little smaller in area in on the side I am calling "top".

Looking down at the "top"


Then kind of a side profile view...


We don't have much jasper/flint of this variety.
However, 100 miles away there is abundant obsidian, which is what most tools I find are made of. I still don't find large chunks of obsidian around here either. It must have been pretty valued.

 

[uniface]

In areas where obsidian is most of what's available, chert is very highly valued because -- unlike obsidian -- it stands up to hard use. Even little pebbles of it.

The artifact in picture nr. 7 is a core rejuvenation flake.

FWIW

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

In areas where obsidian is most of what's available, chert is very highly valued because -- unlike obsidian -- it stands up to hard use. Even little pebbles of it.

The artifact in picture nr. 7 is a core rejuvenation flake.

FWIW

Thanks for the terminology. Looked it up and learned something new.

My piece would be lacking the multiple flake faces and the rounded profile.

The fact that they spent the time to work that tiny thumb scraper tells me that the material WAS desirable. It’s quite a comfortable extension of your thumbnail. I could envision getting a lot of work done without getting blisters.

 

[uniface]

https://www.stoneagetools.co.uk/more-about-flint-cores.htm

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

https://www.stoneagetools.co.uk/more-about-flint-cores.htm

What is your opinion, is my chert rock an obvious core? If so, what direction did they strike the blades off?
I see strike marks on what I have been describing as the “top”.

Thanks for having patience.

 

[uniface]

It seems to have been a tiny one.

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I’ll keep looking for another. May have to start sifting.