Adze?

[Bmillby]

Found this fluted adze. Is the break as designed? It is certainly ancient as the back of the fluted part is worn round and has a slight polish as well.

 

[kcm]

Looks more like something used for shaping/smoothing the inside rounds of bowls.

 

[quito]

Looks like a broken uni-face knife from what I can see. Also looks like the flute could have been the result of the breaking of it.

 

[sandchip]

Looks like a broken uni-face knife from what I can see. Also looks like the flute could have been the result of the breaking of it.

Just what I was thinking, judging by the way the flake scar rolls over the broken end. Still a nice piece and beautiful material.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Looks like a broken uni-face knife from what I can see. Also looks like the flute could have been the result of the breaking of it.

Agree with Quito......

 

[Charl]

If there is flaking on both sides, and there appears to be, then I don't think it can be called unifacial. I think it's bifacial, whatever it is......

 

[kcm]

In any case, it IS interesting!!

 

[Mark Todd]

Sure looks like the bit end of a broken Adze to me. Appears to me to have the typical bevels and the classic use polish right where it always appears.
It's hard to capture the bit bevels in a picture. A head on picture and a side view might be helpful.
Nice find

 

[Bmillby]

It appears like my finger in the second picture is covering the fluted area, but it isn't, that is the other side. The part of the "flute" where it is broken is also a bit polished as if it was hafted there and also wore a once sharp corner. Plus, both sides show quite a polish on the bit end. Thanks all for the input.

 

[Mark Todd]

It appears like my finger in the second picture is covering the fluted area, but it isn't, that is the other side. The part of the "flute" where it is broken is also a bit polished as if it was hafted there and also wore a once sharp corner. Plus, both sides show quite a polish on the bit end. Thanks all for the input.View attachment 1295378View attachment 1295379View attachment 1295380View attachment 1295381

I could tell that the second picture was the under side. The head-on picture that you added of the blade/bit edge confirms that it's a broken Adze. That style is fairly common here in Illinois where I am at, the body shape can vary quite a bit as well as the size, only a couple that I've found show the heavy use polish. Here's a few pics. of some that I've found...

 

[quito]

If there is flaking on both sides, and there appears to be, then I don't think it can be called unifacial. I think it's bifacial, whatever it is......

I'm wondering how you saw the other side when it wasn't shown.

Good guess Charl. :-)

 

[rock]

Nice preforms

 

[Bmillby]

This too is a southern Illinois find. Thanks for sharing. Nice collection.

 

[Charl]

I'm wondering how you saw the other side when it wasn't shown.

Good guess Charl. :-)

But, as he noted, both sides were indeed shown in the first set of pics. It's actually very obvious that both sides are shown there. The flaking on the second photo is on a flat side, and not the convex side shown in the first photo. It was not a guess at all; my eyes told me both sides were being shown :-)

And the second set confirms adze, as Mark has noted. The head-on shot of the bit confirms adze, IMHO......

 

[quito]

ahh, I see that now. That's what I get for scanning things over to quickly sometimes.