cobble choppers

[unclemac]

anyone got some background with cobble choppers? How can you tell one from a broken rock?

 

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[NC field hunter]

Is this what you call a cobble chopper!











If so here is mine beside a similar chopper, just different lithic. As far as it being broken, I would go by patina.







Hope this helps some !

 

[GatorBoy]

NC. I could be wrong but I would call those blanks. The cobble choppers I've seen and I have a couple look just like a semi round piece of cobble with just enough work on one end to give it a wide angle edge.

 

[GatorBoy]

 

[NC field hunter]

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=688645"/>

The brown one is one that Pops picked up years ago. I always thought it was a rock until I started hunting that exact field. I found the grayish colored one and some similar in size to yours. If you look at the back side of the two pictured, pic #2, you can see where both are worked down to fit in the hand nice and firm. If you could hold them, the wear us obvious to the touch. I think only the narrow tip was used. Probably to chop bones at the joint in the cleaning of food. I say that because the tip is not battered or pitted. Couldn't have been used in any thing very hard.

 

[natchitoches]

yes he is talking about cobble stones not rock
cobble stone choppers

 

[unclemac]

...sorry guys I had every intention of posting a picture of a suspect cobble chopper...but you know how it is....40 years of picking up rocks and tossing them in the pile outside...I THOUGHT I knew about where it was....just can't quite put my hands on it, I'm still looking however and will post it when I do.

 

[NC field hunter]

...sorry guys I had every intention of posting a picture of a suspect cobble chopper...but you know how it is....40 years of picking up rocks and tossing them in the pile outside...I THOUGHT I knew about where it was....just can't quite put my hands on it, I'm still looking however and will post it when I do.

I almost have a pyramid built in my back yard. I Can visualize my pyramid being torn down thousands of years from now. A professor saying "as primitive man's knowledge grew....."

 

[Gold Maven]

I've always called them hammer stones.....if we are talking about the same thing. The ones I find are generally fist sized, very symmetrical, ball shaped with distinct peck marks on opposing sides. The pecking creates a tiny dish just big enough to give your finger a grip.

I was once told that they would get greasy,and slippery as they were primarily used to smash bones to remove the marrow.

Easy to over look, bet a very obvious tool when examined.

 

[GatorBoy]

Not the same thing.. these are not for chopping cobble. Cobble is a word used to describe a small stone. A cobble chopper is a tool made from a small stone.

 

[GatorBoy]

 

[NC field hunter]

I've always called them hammer stones.....if we are talking about the same thing. The ones I find are generally fist sized, very symmetrical, ball shaped with distinct peck marks on opposing sides. The pecking creates a tiny dish just big enough to give your finger a grip.

I was once told that they would get greasy,and slippery as they were primarily used to smash bones to remove the marrow.

Easy to over look, bet a very obvious tool when examined.

You are thinking of these.



I love those!!

 

[unclemac]

Yep...these things, my question was gonna be how do you tell it is one and not just a broken rock?

 

[NC field hunter]

Yep...these things, my question was gonna be how do you tell it is one and not just a broken rock?

Dang Unc, your pic didn't upload. Are you talking about the hammers? If so, you will know when you get one. They normally show dings and pits on at least one part of the stone and they fit the hand well.

 

[unclemac]

here you go...I found them...just needed day light and my glasses....so what do you guys think?

 

[rock]

Here is 2 of mine I have gotten. These are from North Florida and found on a Paleo site. The black one has a shaft scraper on it.

 

[unclemac]

yeah but how do you tell they just aint broken rocks? That is what I'm trying to figure.

 

[rock]

The edges are flaked That is what secondary flaking is on the edges it is for cutting and scraping. That is how you will know. Check the black one on the right side of my pic. You can see it looks like a saw blade but very tiny.

 

[GatorBoy]

I didn't see any secondary"pressure" flaking on his pieces or is there usually on cobble choppers. Context would be number one with those followed by use wear. It is possible that a stone was tested for its knappability then tossed as well. Either way in the right context they are both artifacts.

 

[rock]

Yes I have found one Chert Cobble that has a piece flaked off and then kept for a later use but they just never got around to it I would guess. I still got it some place.