UNIFACE POINT

[jdsly]

First post in this forum. Got tired/frustrated replacing a floor in my camper saturday and decided to take the dogs down by the river to play. Glad i did. Another point to add to my small collection. If anybody has info for me it would be greatly appreciated.
Northeast tn find

Thanks
Joe

 

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[1320]

That's an odd material for Tennessee, not to mention an odd shape/profile.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Ground slate. I saw a similar one on the net from Sweden. Gary

 

[sandchip]

Although a little far north for the type, it looks like a Waller knife to me. Great find!

 

[jdsly]

Thanks for the replies everyone. The material is native around here(think its slate). First point ive found made of it though

 

[sandchip]

Looks like some kind of chert to me. I've never seen slate fracture like that.

 

[jdsly]

Shale maybe...dunno

 

[1320]

Looks like some kind of chert to me. I've never seen slate fracture like that.

I agree with your opinion as a Waller knife even though it’s a bit out of place. It’s a river find which makes it very plausible. One image shows flaking/chipping which all but eliminates slate and shale in my opinion.

I’d love to see this piece in person!

 

[joshuaream]

I agree with Sandchip and 1320, I don't think it's shale. The curvature of the flake (a spall) and the type of chipping make think it might be a chalky piece of chert. Dover, Ft Payne, Brassfield and other Tennessee cherts can have "dry" spots that can absorb creek stain or are just grey to begin with.

And it looks like a Waller knife, so likely your oldest find unless you've already found something really cool like a Clovis or Cumberland.

 

[Leann]

Cabinet worthy!!!

 

[jdsly]

I agree with your opinion as a Waller knife even though it’s a bit out of place. It’s a river find which makes it very plausible. One image shows flaking/chipping which all but eliminates slate and shale in my opinion.

I’d love to see this piece in person!

Im in the johnson city area. Could probably arrange that. Thanks for the response too.
Im always learning

 

[jdsly]

I agree with Sandchip and 1320, I don't think it's shale. The curvature of the flake (a spall) and the type of chipping make think it might be a chalky piece of chert. Dover, Ft Payne, Brassfield and other Tennessee cherts can have "dry" spots that can absorb creek stain or are just grey to begin with.

And it looks like a Waller knife, so likely your oldest find unless you've already found something really cool like a Clovis or Cumberland.

I have a couple archaic points. Im unfamiliar with the type of materials around here but it does seem to resemble some of the pictures ive looked at. Thanks for your help

Joe

 

[uniface]

Warning: This thread is 2 years old.

Missed this one the first time around. I found one very like this one, years ago, in Montour Co. Pennsylvania. Corner struck uniface with two converging top facets. Gave it, along with everything else from that site, to a friend when we moved. In the Danville public library there's another, more robust one with an endscraper termination. Both are made of silicified shale from (apparently) NE Pennsylvania that is exotic to the area.

What's intriguing is that the Mayans made points like this. Sides un-trimmed unless re-sharpened or use worn.
Mayan Stemmed Blade Projectile Point

And while no one's suggesting there were Mayans in Pennsylvania back then, given that nobody else here ever seems to have used that knapping strategy, it makes me go, "hmmm . . ."

Anybody else ?

 

[sandchip]

There might well be some connection in knapping techniques, but at the same time, there are marked differences between the Mayan point and the Waller knife. The Wallers usually have two simple notches, at the bulb end rather than a long stem. Also, Wallers rarely approach the length of the Mayan point illustrated, if that is the typical average length. The differences wouldn't necessarily discount a connection, but might just be the result of local preferences in construction.

 

[southfork]

This uniface point is a personal find from the homestead N. California . Waller Knife look ?