Uniface

[Tesorodeoro]

Again not my find...

 

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[Tesorodeoro]

 

[Tesorodeoro]

 

[Tesorodeoro]

 

[Tesorodeoro]

 

[Tesorodeoro]

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Seems to be a pattern of minimal work on the “back” side, top and bottom. Don’t hesitate to educate me.

The patina seems to indicate these points were recovered, then retouched?

Or just old utilized flakes?

 

[uniface]

Obsidian is not my thing so I can't tell you much about patination. Overall they were just whacking blocks of it and modifying what they produced that way to make the results serviceable.

 

[Out Of Time]

Nice group of little knives and scrapers. Mostly classed as uni-face, utilized flakes. They can be secondary flakes generated in the process of manufacture. Salvaged and slightly modified for use as precision tools. Can't be attributed to any particular group or time. These tool types are ubiquitous anywhere obsidian is used. In the west and Mexico, for instance.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Nice group of little knives and scrapers. Mostly classed as uni-face, utilized flakes. They can be secondary flakes generated in the process of manufacture. Salvaged and slightly modified for use as precision tools. Can't be attributed to any particular group or time. These tool types are ubiquitous anywhere obsidian is used. In the west and Mexico, for instance.

Thanks for that info!

So the appearance of newer, clean flaking on top of older flaking, just means they salvaged an old worked flake and used it for their own purposes? There are others in this collection that look exactly the same way.

That’s what I was referring to when I mentioned the patina.
(Post #2)

Kind of looks like they picked up an older tool and touched it up to be used again.

 

[uniface]

Good eye. You're seeing.

My note about the random character was with reference to the initial removals.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Not uniface, but shares the same patina then retouch.

What’s interesting is the patina is only on one side. Surface finds long ago?
The flaking on the “back” side is very different from what’s on the “front”.
Beautiful flaking all the way across.

I’m not sure if this is a point or a knife. I’m thinking a knife.
Was the base snapped off or was it by design I wonder.

 

[uniface]

Snapped at notches. FWIW.

 

[H.P.]

Not uniface, but shares the same patina then retouch.

What’s interesting is the patina is only on one side. Surface finds long ago?
The flaking on the “back” side is very different from what’s on the “front”.
Beautiful flaking all the way across.

I’m not sure if this is a point or a knife. I’m thinking a knife.
Was the base snapped off or was it by design I wonder.

View attachment 1910825

View attachment 1910826

View attachment 1910827

The last one doesn’t look retouched, looks like the side that faced the sun wind an weather has more of a patina, naturally it would, and base patina is original cortex, Imo.

 

[Out Of Time]

In the knapping process flakes are removed sequentially. Typically, first series removes the cortex (rind). People call those primary flakes. They have the rough surface of cortex on the outside and the smooth face of a fresh cleave on the inside. Often a second series of flakes will be removed to further reduce a piece. These are called secondary flakes. They have the appearance of being knapped on the outside and smooth on the inside. Most often, these are the ones reserved (or salvaged) for flake tools. A third series of flakes might be removed in the process of sharpening and shaping. These are called tertiary and may be too small to be utilised.

Patina can often show where a piece has been salvaged and reworked at a later time. But we are talking years, or even centuries, before enough patina develops on any given material. So it's surprising how often we see it.
Surface finds often show uneven patina based on uneven exposure to elements, particularly sunlight. Upside may have heavy tarnish whilst the underside (underexposed) remains relatively free of it. Likewise for a piece that's partially buried.

 

[Out Of Time]

I agree that the base end shows cortex on the last point pictured. Don't think it was ever notched.
Perhaps a knapper could explain why we so often see bifaces with a 'good side' and a 'bad side'? I've never really understood it.

 

[uniface]

Notice that both edges narrow before the break. Indicates notched or stemmed. No idea why the break surface (if it is one) is so roughened. If you find uncorked pieces with that appearance natural exterior, then I'm obviously wrong.