Prehistoric Flint Scraper - Neolithic Multitool

[UnderMiner]

Found this large flint scraper today while mudlarking the North Shore of LI. Its design suggests early to mid-Neolithic, likely 10,000-6,000 B.C. at least. Very well made and comfortable to hold. The person who made this was right handed as the natural unworked 'heel' of the stone fits snugly in the palm of the right hand. It is still very sharp and cuts easily. Likely was used as a knife for cutting meat as well as a scraper for preparing hides for use in clothing. By complete coincidence I happened to find a modern spring-assisted knife no more than 100 feet away a mere 30 minutes later. Two knives were dropped in the same area 10,000 years apart from each other... and it only took me 30 minutes to find both.

Short video explains all:


Front of the flint knife/scraper, the blade is on the right:


Back of the flint knife, the 'heel' which rests in the palm of the hand is facing up, the blade is on the right:


The cutting edge:


How the maker likely intended it to be held:


Blade shows signs of enhancements to add greater cutting power:


How it was made:

These pictures show the various strike marks made by the ancient flintsmith to craft his tool. Strike marks 1, 2, 3, & 4 formed the majority of the tool. The tool maker had the most trouble with strikes 2 and 4 as you can see he struck these places several times resulting in damage to the stone that is still visible. Strikes 1 & 3 however were sucessful right away as these places on the stone are clean breaks:

Strikes 5 & 6 were made to enhance the size of the cutting edge made by strike 4 which did not chip off enough to make the entire blade by itself.


This is the spring assisted knife in situ, 30 minutes prior I found the stone tool within the same area:


The modern knife cleaned up:



Two knives, 10,000 years apart:

 

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[capsmith]

I am sorry I just don't see anything that looks like it has been worked .

 

[DFW_THer]

I am sorry I just don't see anything that looks like it has been worked .

yes, but did you see all the little red arrows he applied?? haha just joshin' ya Underminer... It looks like a scraper of some sort to me too, especially if found in a sea of rocks that look nothing like it. Definitely no overwhelming evidence, but I think it was used a long time ago--for something...

 

[UnderMiner]

Perhaps I over analyzed it, ancient stone artifacts are hard to identify. More 'modern' precision-made stone tools are easy to identify as they have distinguishing characteristics but very old ones tend to be more crude. So how does one tell the difference between a crudely made ancient stone tool and a piece of flint that's just been knocked around by nature? This is why I will never be curator of a stone age artifact museum.

 

[Rick K]

The retouch – a little Micro flaking – on the concave cutting edge certainly looks like human work - not the result of trampling, wave tossing etc.

 

[DFW_THer]

The retouch – a little Micro flaking – on the concave cutting edge certainly looks like human work - not the result of trampling, wave tossing etc.

Exactly, I agree. Way better than most 'rocks' that have been posted recently as ancient stone maps to treasure. heehehe

 

[catherine1]

Your rock does exhibit some work by man, however in its crude form you would have to find other more refined artifacts in the area to consider the age. Post it in the North American Artifact forum. They will tell you what material you have. And where it came from. Post the pics of the edges. And both sides.

 

[CRUSADER]

My knowledge is only in that type of flint you have there but from our Neolithic period, about 7000 years ago. If I found that here, I would agree its been worked by man because you can clearly identify the bulb of percussion areas.
I won't so much judge it as a tool (maybe a crude one) but more as a waste piece that other tools were broken off from. That my thoughts.