Quartz Reduction

TimeWaster · Mar 13, 2013

Ok, so here are some pics of the quartz reduction I find, and my theory (and remember, I know nothing) on what I think they are. A lot look like what you guys are calling spokeshaves, but I am of the opinion that they are Dalton type points just broken while trying to get to something to work. I went ahead and drew an outline around where I thought the piece was headed and would welcome any comments on this.

rock · Mar 13, 2013

The type of quartz is called spider vein quartz. If I remember correctly to the term of it. Its the same type I find. There was an article on somebody finding the same type of quartz in Az. Some said artifacts and some said rocks by nature. Yours is a interesting twist by theory. I believe the pile I go through is a trash pit and every once in a while I get lucky to find a good piece.

GatorBoy · Mar 13, 2013

I think you got it right in your title.
The piece in the bottom right corner of your first photo looks like it deserves a photo by itself.

*Molly* · Mar 13, 2013

Looks like the rocks I used to find in NC. The milky quartz is, if I remember rightly 7 on the hardness scale. The ones that feel like sugar was not the right material for points or knives, due to the fact it breaks off just like sugar would. The top right milky rock is a preform. Looks to me that you have tools/knives. I wish I had a buck for every tool/knife I carted home. :laughing7:

Where are you from?

TimeWaster · Mar 13, 2013

Molly, these rocks come from Suwanee, Ga. Right in the middle of the Brevard Zone. GatorBoy, the red outline I'm putting around these, is that just active imagination, or do you see anything? Not sure which one you were talking about wanting a picture by its self, but clarify and I'll get a better one.
If you could see these things close up, some definitely have a lot of work done to them already. The ones I thought were broken base tangs and worked all the way around then snapped off. I just want to get my imagination out of the picture if what I think I see actually isn't whats going on at all. It is so easy to see things that really aren't there when you are looking at quartz reduction.

GatorBoy · Mar 13, 2013

You're absolutely right.. with that last statement. While some of those could easily be broken points or pre forms.
Just so I would understand the material better I sat down on a couple occasions and reduced a bunch of quartz. One thing I noticed was that with one strike the resulting fresh material gave the appearance of having many pressure flakes removed from it. I think that is the result of the comparatively large grain of the material. The piece I was talking about is in your first photo.... at the very bottom right hand corner.

TimeWaster · Mar 13, 2013

That one?

GatorBoy · Mar 13, 2013

Yes.. a photo of the other side would help also.. that I believe is the base of a point.. I don't think it looked like your outline. I would guess that's probably the oldest piece you have there.

rock · Mar 13, 2013

Here are some points I have found. They are actually unifacial. The last one is white but looks yellow. These might be tools because some have graver tips on them. There is no known type name for them. At least I havent been able to type them anyway.

GatorBoy · Mar 13, 2013

If it's uni facial.. it's not a point.
Some points made on flakes have very little work on what would be side B... but as a rule a projectile point is a bi facial artifact.
I remember a thread about the same thing... where you posted the same pieces..and I said the same thing about them eight months ago
.... I said you would never be able to find out what kind of point they are... because they're not points.... do you believe me yet? LOL..

GatorBoy · Mar 13, 2013

Read my reply I wasn't done

GatorBoy · Mar 13, 2013

What you have there are not flake points. Here's one of mine. There is still work on side B. I'm not trying to argue.. just trying to help.

rock · Mar 13, 2013

So are you saying tool then?

TimeWaster · Mar 14, 2013

Ok, so here are a couple of better pics of the one you were looking at GatorBoy.

I thought (and remember I know nothing), that the next one I show here was a dead ringer for the base of an articulate type point. It shows a lot of edge work and is really good quality material. If I ever find a whole one its gonna be one ugly happy dance.