What was this used for?

[Freemindedclark]

I found this in a small creek not to far from the nodaway river. It has obviously been worked.

 

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[ToddsPoint]

Looks like a tested flint nodule to me. Usually the ones you find tested are the ones they rejected because of some flaw. They took the good ones with them. Gary

 

[Freemindedclark]

Looks like a tested flint nodule to me. Usually the ones you find tested are the ones they rejected because of some flaw. They took the good ones with them. Gary

So you are saying they were testing the quality of the Flint and this is the result?

 

[Freemindedclark]

I also found this in the same location

 

[olroy70]

looks like it has been in a fire. the flint I find in West Texas looks like that. water in the flint pops out that way

 

[Freemindedclark]

looks like it has been in a fire. the flint I find in West Texas looks like that. water in the flint pops out that way

Interesting

 

[ToddsPoint]

So you are saying they were testing the quality of the Flint and this is the result?

Yes. When a flintknapper (Indian or modern) goes to a creek looking for flint, here is the routine. You need a piece of leather to protect your leg and a hammerstone. The creek has a million pieces of flint but only a small percentage are of the quality it takes to make stone tools. The knapper spots a nodule, picks it up and knocks off a corner. If it's high quality, no cracks, he might reduce it a little further before putting it in his bag. If he tests it and he finds flaws, he tosses it back in the creek. Junk. Remember, tested nodules might have been done by Indians or modern knappers. Modern knappers hunt creeks with flint everywhere so there is a lot of modern tested nodules and debitage from them as well as Indians. Gary

 

[Freemindedclark]

Yes. When a flintknapper (Indian or modern) goes to a creek looking for flint, here is the routine. You need a piece of leather to protect your leg and a hammerstone. The creek has a million pieces of flint but only a small percentage are of the quality it takes to make stone tools. The knapper spots a nodule, picks it up and knocks off a corner. If it's high quality, no cracks, he might reduce it a little further before putting it in his bag. If he tests it and he finds flaws, he tosses it back in the creek. Junk. Remember, tested nodules might have been done by Indians or modern knappers. Modern knappers hunt creeks with flint everywhere so there is a lot of modern tested nodules and debitage from them as well as Indians. Gary

This piece has more than just a corner knocked off though. There is micro flaking along the edges of the notched area.