Modern flintknappers(stone tool workers) can be a great asset to the science of Archaeology. In this section we offer proper examples to be used in demonstrations and teaching collections. When traditional tools are used with the authentic process, the past truly comes to life.
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| Michael flintknapping for the History Channel |
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| For the purpose of Archaeology, a scientific drawing of a tool is much more useful than a photo. An accurate drawing by an experienced stone tool technician can bring out many details easily lost in a photo. This masterpiece of a biface was collected on the Occoquan River in 1862. It is now in the collections of the Smithsonian Institution.
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TEACHING COLLECTIONS
A quality replica can be a wonderful teaching tool for students of Archaeology and history in general. Years of study with museum objects "in hand" produce replicas that are not only the same shape and feel as the originals, but ones that are made by the same process. This leaves reduction debitage that is also correct for study, such as the Paleoindian channel flake from the fluting process. If interested in obtaining a version of an item on these pages, or in creating a set of tools for teaching or display, please email for availability at clovis23@comcast.net
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| Scrapers, burins, and graver |
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| Levallois core and flake point |
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| Clovis channel flake and overshot flake |
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| Lower Paleolithic hand axe replica |
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This celt replica was made in basalt, and hafted in Beech wood. To make a proper replica for North Carolina's Morrow Mountain Museum, the traditional stages had to be followed. First the basalt was flaked with antler hammers, then it was repeatedly struck with quartzite blows(pecking) to get the shape close to finishing. The final step was grinding on a sandstone slab with a mixture of water and sand(containing quartz harder than the basalt). Beech is a wood that does not split easily and made a fine handle for this style of celt axe. This type of tool was used later in North American Archaeology, and functions best as a tool to cut larger diameter wood poles.
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Bannerstones, barstones, and boatstones are found throughout the Archaic period of North American Archaeology.
Although under debate, the mainstream idea is that many are the weights attached to atlatl spear throwers. See our atlatl pages to see how they might have looked attached or to see available examples.
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| Bannerstone style atlatl weight |
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| Barstone granite weight attached to atlatl |
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In the archaeology collections of the Smithsonian, I had a chance to examine a Colorado stone hammer from a dry cave with the hafting still attached. Inspired to test the technology, a granite river cobble was struck repeatedly with a harder quartz rock until a hafting groove was deep enough. It was then wrapped with a green oak sapling and tightened with wet rawhide. The replica functioned suprisingly well and is now in the collections of the Virginia Museum of Natural History.
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| Pecking a groove in granite river cobble by striking with harder quartz rock |
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| Finished hammer ready for hafting |
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| Wrapped green oak and rawhide handle |
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| Stone hammer made for Norway's Archaeological park |
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| When stone tools are hafted, they can bring an otherwise misunderstood artifact to life. Once this granite cobble was hafted, several students were able to test with pounding out plant stalks for cord fibers, and had a much better understanding of how these objects worked in prehistory.
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Our flint tipped pump drills make an excellent demonstration of how ancient tools were used. Drills are often seen in arrowhead displays, and seldom get the attention they deserve. When hafted and used to drill through wood, bone, antler, and even other stone, archaeology comes to life. The point of knapped flint is set into the shaft with genuine pitch pitch and wood ash glue, and the flywheel weight is made of sandstone. Shipping is $6 in the US and international buyers should email first for actual shipping cost.
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