Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Flintknapping => Topic started by: Diligence on November 10, 2013, 02:55:43 pm

Title: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Diligence on November 10, 2013, 02:55:43 pm
I've not been around PA much this past while, but always lurk.

I had the pleasure of handling some excellent points this summer.  I would say some of them are "museum quality".  They were collected by a friend of mine over a 15 year period.  He and his friends would go camping, with the goal of only searching out points.  These are the ones that he kept out of the bucketfuls (yes buckets) of points that were gathered.

I thought it might be fun to see if any of you can guess where these points are from?.....what their age might be? ...and even their use as there are some neat ones.

I couldn't manage to upload the files, so here is a link to a photoshare site.

—-photo hosting site is no longer up—— see below posts for pics.

I believe there is one point that is very, very early.    Anyway, you are the experts so let me know what your theories are.

Cheers,
D
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: mullet on November 10, 2013, 08:25:11 pm
Looks like Texas to me. But, I'm not really up on Texas points like I am with Florida points.
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Diligence on November 10, 2013, 09:51:09 pm
well, a few views so far.

I will tell you that where these were found, there is a lot of sand, a lot - and Mullet, you are correct.  These are not from Florida.

Anybody seen the really small ones before, the funny looking ones?

Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: mullet on November 10, 2013, 10:04:22 pm
I'll take another stab at it; San Padre Islands, Karankawas and Coahuiltecan Indians? Or, Chama Valley New Mexico, White Sands?
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Tower on November 10, 2013, 10:31:24 pm
I don't have adobe. I can't see the pic. 
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Dalton Knapper on November 10, 2013, 10:45:00 pm
Some of those looked like material from Texas and I noted at least one Andice or Calf Creek #8).  Also, #18 could be a Paleo or Archaic point made from Hixton Silified Sandstone (orthoquartzite regardless) and may have traveled down from Wisconsin, but what the heck do I know? Orthoquartzite (silified sandstone) comes from several places - some just call it quartzite. The two gray ones before that may be another type of quartzite.

Cool stuff anyway. I was impressed by the number of broken bases which indicated they were used to try and make a kill or made one.
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Diligence on November 10, 2013, 11:38:01 pm
I'll toss another hint at you.  These were not found in North America.....
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: stickbender on November 11, 2013, 12:56:29 am

     Australia?

                       

                                                              Wayne
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: RickB on November 11, 2013, 08:07:54 am
I have some Neolithic stone points that I bought a few years ago that look very similar to some of those. Do they come from the African Continent? Rick B
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: JonW on November 11, 2013, 08:20:11 am
I'm going with Israel or Egypt.
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: JackCrafty on November 11, 2013, 09:15:22 am
Most appear to be arrow points (as opposed to spear or dart points) which indicates that they are not older than the invention of the bow.  The exception would be the large, leaf-shaped blade.  That one looks the oldest to me.  The dark colored "scraper" looking one has a very common shape, so it's hard to tell the age, but that one may also be very old.  The barbed and tanged arrowheads tell me that those might be from the European Neolithic Age.  The color of the flint would seem to indicate southern or eastern Europe rather than Northern, but that's a guess.  The two arrowheads that have constricted "middles" are probably a giveaway as to the exact country but I have not seen those before.  And the fact that there might still be beaches in Europe with buckets of arrowheads still being found on the surface has me stumped.  By the condition of the barbs, I'd say that many of these were damaged from digging or damaged by plows.
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Diligence on November 11, 2013, 05:01:09 pm
Patrick - good descriptions.  My thoughts on age also.

I think the dark shaped rounded biface one, is the oldest. Or the big spear point, but I'm just looking at what I could find online.

Everybody is thinking beaches.....but think dunes instead.  These were all found in the dunes.  I'll post the exact location when my friend sends me the geographic region, but these are from Saudi Arabia.

D
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: mullet on November 11, 2013, 06:01:29 pm
I'll be heading for the Negev Desert in Israel the first of December. Looking for flint and artifacts was at the top of my list.
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: JackCrafty on November 11, 2013, 06:29:38 pm
Cool.  Always good to see arrowheads from exotic places.  :)
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Diligence on November 11, 2013, 06:37:06 pm
The correct geographic region is the Rub' Al Khali desert, near the town of Najran

Here are the coordinates for you google earth folks

Latitude 17°29'30.23"N
Longitude  44° 7'56.24"E

He used to go "camping" with other ex-pats and they would look for the glint of the flint.  Said some of the guys had stellar collections.

Travis (Barrage) and I handled these points, and I have to tell you, I got goosebumps.  They were so much nicer than the photos show.

Jaye
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Barrage on November 23, 2013, 05:58:27 pm
Just saw this now.  I did get to see them and I have to say, they do give you goose bumps.  Such very impressive work from long ago...almost scared to touch them!
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Outbackbob48 on November 23, 2013, 07:48:56 pm
I belong to a small amateur archelogy club an we had Dr. Grambly as our quest speaker an he brought some new clovis points from the Sugarloaf Mt. site in Mass. Totally amazing points, some of these were never hafted , so they believe they were in a point production area of a camp site. this site has been dug earlier but for only 4 days in 1985 an has been tied up in legal private ground preservation issues and has just been opened to archelogist again. He believes this will be the largest clovis site in North america. Sorry if I'm stepping on some toes and hijacking thread.  90% of these points were Normanskill material brought in from 100 miles south of camp. Bob
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: JackCrafty on November 23, 2013, 08:49:29 pm
Very interesting Bob!  Would love to hear more...
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: Stoker on November 25, 2013, 03:20:55 pm
Thanks for posting Jaye.. Great looking collection
Thanks Leroy
Title: Re: Test your Point Knowledge - a challenge to you
Post by: mullet on November 25, 2013, 05:41:36 pm
 
I belong to a small amateur archelogy club an we had Dr. Grambly as our quest speaker an he brought some new clovis points from the Sugarloaf Mt. site in Mass. Totally amazing points, some of these were never hafted , so they believe they were in a point production area of a camp site. this site has been dug earlier but for only 4 days in 1985 an has been tied up in legal private ground preservation issues and has just been opened to archelogist again. He believes this will be the largest clovis site in North america. Sorry if I'm stepping on some toes and hijacking thread.  90% of these points were Normanskill material brought in from 100 miles south of camp. Bob

Dr Grambly authenticated a 16th century bracelet I found in Tallahassee, Fl.