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Variety of bifacial stone tool sources
As hunting developed through history, the tribes in what is now known as the United States found many sources of hard rock that could be chipped into sharp edges that could be used for scrapers, axes and points for spears and arrows. Stones worked for tools formed hard edges and came from several areas.
My own experience has mostly been under tutelage from our friend spudtruckowner, who has garnered knowledge from participating over his lifetime, in research and archaeological digs in the area.
Theories have developed over many years of study about the origins, and identities of the users of the tools we find in all of the united states we now inhabit.
Emerging archaeological evidence (including Monte Verde in Chile and Mud Lake in Wisconsin—where butchered
mammoth remains predate the oldest verified Clovis site by
nearly 2,500 radiocarbon years) supports pre-Clovis human presence in the Americas.
Any doubts that the Clovis-First theory no longer reigns over Peopling of the Americas studies are dispelled by the final paragraph of Waters and Stafford’s article:
The archaeological data now show that Clovis does not
represent the earliest inhabitants of the Americas and that a
new model is needed to explain the peopling of the mericas.
His many years of study of atlatl – spears thrown with the use of a throwing base, have led one expert on the subject, Gary Fogelman, to form an extensive tool and biface collection – one showing which is featured above.
The flint and chert source that shows up in points in the NW PA area originated in a few different areas, in the immediate area usually colored green and dark greys. Their color makes points stand out when found in the local fields.
Some known here are the Towslowski biface, seen above, and jasper. Collections of the stone have been studied from their appearance in tools found locally, and traced back to the stone source used.
Folsom and Clovis points reveal technology the tribes had developed from long use and practice, and sources for them are attracting increased study.
Western tools and points appear in many collections, as pictured below in the Museum of the Red River in a drawer of atlatl weights.
Oklahoma collection of atlatl weights
19 Comments
For a minute I must admit I didn’t get the point but then in a flashing epiphany (yes, all of my epiphanies are flashing) the point was driven home loud and clear (talking of a mixed metaphor):
Everyone must get stoned. Maybe that’s why they called it the Neolithic: New Stone Age.:>)
You wouldn’t happen to have the recipe for this one, would you Ruth?
The world turns and nothing really changes.
Thanks Ruth and fascinating stuff.
Hey, glad you are sharp; as usual. Those neolithic high times are epic in so many ways, after all. Recipe; flake one off and call me in the a.m.
I refuse to remain pointless.
Good points, as usual. I need to go OT here because there is no other place this fits: there is a new book out called The Statues that Walked. This book rewrites the history of Easter Island, Rapa Nui, and completely demolishes the standard history. The only thing that ties it to this thread is the stone points, none of which, evidently were used for killing or injuring people. Apparently they did not have any war on their island, and they did not destroy the majority of the plant life that was there, especially the trees.
The Pacific NW, where forests swaths of old growth cedar continue to reign, untold buried caches of implements — used until fairly recently by the indigenous population — lie a mere few feet underground of a capstone, awaiting rediscovery and reuse.
A scraper tool, a perfect fit in either hand, speaks to centuries of survival using well formed and well worn stone.
Imagine my epiphaniffic joy at unearthing this long lost art artifact of living in harmony with nature. I can only imagine the lives of those who came before and left these behind for us to use — as if we would continue this lifestyle into the far future. These are creations of consciousness… and like Art, they communicate the meta-message which, at least for the human species, biological survival is a function of your point of view.
We don’t understand how we came by our way of life, but we live it nonetheless. That’s why Art is important to culture — it is the “physics of the meta”.
Thanks, very interesting. It’s also fascinating to find similarities among very disparate artwork. (The Mayan sculptures have a family resemblance.)
Thanks, you see why I include functional objects in art categories, it’s part of our soul too. I can feel awe at finding some of the metal relics from a smithy in my childhood backyard, too, knowing this old pot top shaped in a forge was part of a life I touch by finding it.
Yes, if we can have the Tacoma Narrows Bride galloping (Galloping Girtie), then, of course, getting huge blocks of stone to walk several miles is a piece of cake.
Of course, the blocks did walk, so to speak, but marathons were definitely out.
Out of curiosity, what does your source material specify as the reason(s) for the disappearance of the indigenous population of Easter Island?
All of my readings indicate that the original inhabitants of Easter Island disappeared once upon a time due to internecine warfare resulting from the ever decreasing natural resources available and an ever increasing number of mouths to feed.
Of course, we can speculate (rightfully the proper bailiwick of ‘Gyn-Ob’ practitioners, but I’ll take a shot in the dark) that the island’s last general election was not quietly accepted by the losing side.
By the way, don’t you just love the statues’ hats: That’s what I call a fashion statement carved in stone.
Get the point? (couldn’t resist) :>)
The causes for disappearing population are naturally all just guesswork, but it’s hard for me to imagine killing each other off entirely. It would seem there would be evidence of violence. But I’m not an archaeologist, myself.
Speculations included, if I am not mistaken, the statues apparently were intentionally toppled, and since the statues were of deceased leaders, there appears to be sufficient cause and effect to suggest that not all was well on Easter Island.
In addition, a documentary I watched in the last six months, whose name slips my mind, actually discussed the warfare on Easter Island and the toppling of the great statues.
I’ll see if I can locate the film.
I wonder what Bear Country’s sources say about these issues.
Nice chatting Ruth.
Thought you would find this interesting.
“European accounts in 1722 (Dutch) and 1770 (Spanish) reported seeing only standing statues, but by James Cook’s visit in 1774 many were reported toppled. The huri mo’ai – the “statue-toppling” – continued into the 1830s as a part of internal conflicts among islanders. By 1838, the only standing moai were on the slopes of Rano Raraku and Hoa Hakananai’a at Orongo. In about 60 years, islanders had deliberately destroyed the main part of their ancestors’ heritage.[24] In modern times, moai have been restored at Orongo, Ahu Tongariki, Ahu Akivi and Hanga Roa.” Wikipedia
I don’t want to relate the whole book because it is an interesting read. There are several points about Easter Island that these archaeologists found that throw the received truths out.
I’ll start with the hats on the statues: the indigenous people loved hats, they stole them from the heads of visiting sailors along with other things. The hats on the statues were just a continuation of their hat love. There is no discussion of the statues being effigies of their kings because there were no apparent kings. The statues apparently “walked” to their places in the same way that a refrigerator can “walk” to a new position. If you use ropes and good technique it doesn’t require very many people, certainly not the armies of the Egyptian pyramidd. They seem to have been moved over specially constructed roads that have only been recently uncovered. There is a Rapanui word for walking without feet. You probably do it yourself by keeping your knees locked and using the balls of your feet and your heels. The statues apparently fell due to lack of attention.
There were forests on the island when the Polynesian colonists arrived. Only two animals seem to have arrived with them: rats and chickens. The rats seem to be the main culprit is the destruction of the palm trees in that they ate the seeds so there was no new growth.
The Rapanui people did not live in concentrated areas, they raised food using rocks for shade and for supplying necessary nutrients for the soil. Everybody was related to everyone else to some extent. They did not arrive there until about 1200 c.e. (a.d.) and then were isolated until 1722. They had no wars or, apparently, many violent personal disputes. When the Europeans arrived they didn’t stay for much more than a day up to maybe a few days. The women were very accomodating to the visitors so in return for some food and sex the Europeans left stds, small pox, and other surprises like that. Eventually some slavers arrived, and, eventually, a well connected monied interest that “bought” up the land and made the Rapanui slaves in place on a huge sheep and bovine farm. The max population was around 3,000+ before the Europeans. After the first diseases subsided the population had been down to around 500, but recovered prior to the major farm. The population dissolved to about 110. It has since recovered.
The farm is gone and the island is an extremely popular visitor place. The island is part of Chile, but they have local rule by native born people.
One question not addressed is how many native born are not of mixed blood.
That is not the whole book, but, I think, the jist. Anyone who wants to argue with the conclusions should not dispute what I have said except that I misstated something. The authors did the work or were thesis directors of PhD students who did the work or showed how some past and present researchers strengthen their points. The received wisdom of the island history was certainly more exciting, but apparently just not correct.
The Dutch were there for a day, and the Spanish for just a couple of more days. There were many statues left in the quarry or broke along the way to their destination. I would trust this book more than wikipedia because this is by archaeologists that were involved. That’s just me. You may believe whomever you choose.
Thanks, that sounds more like the way histories in the ‘discovered’ lands went; sorry, doremus. Having heard from Spanish relatives that there was no indigenous population in Costa Rica to displace, so that they came into possession of the land quite innocently, I tend to doubt stories about previous populations’ disappearance. There are no written histories, which does seem to lend itself to self-serving variations,
knowing this old pot top shaped in a forge was part of a life I touch by finding it.
I really like that, Ruth. Do you think there’s some remembrance in dna? Do you think that some mysterious trace of the family becomes part of your worldview? Might be getting out in the weeds, but then, that’s sometimes where you find the good stuff.
Nice view, too. I don’t think there’s strict separation between matter and mind, so yes, I do think something of our surrounding material world is part of what we like to imagine as aetherial. I’m not inclined to shut out possibilities.
I love a person with an open mind. Absolutely, Ruth.
Going down to the nursery now to see when the lettuce plants will be arriving. I know, I’m chomping at the bit. :)
Ruth, you probably won’t see this, but I guess that doremus felt that quoting from wikipedia settled the question of Easter Island history. As the book develops, the well known and well reguritated history is shown to be incorrect. I thought that s/he might be back to try to refute the book, but I guess wikipedia was good enough proof of everything.
Just got back, and what I find about Wikipedia is that it is what users report, not always factual, and that sometimes the information is juggled for the convenience of folks who prefer other facts than we have.