Professional Casting Services

Occpaleo provides lithic and artifact molding and casting services. In addition to casting for private collections, teaching institutions, and museums, we also offer casts of artifacts from collections that we have worked with in the past.

Lithic casting involves making a 3 dimensional copy of an artifact that is suitable for scientific study. When high grade silicones and epoxies are used to mold and cast an artifact, even microscopic details can be replicated. Once this is done, objects that are hard to access are immediately open for world wide study.

Lithic casts are a great reference tool for students in the classrooms, and for examples in museums and Park Service displays and public demonstrations. The original is protected from handling, and multiple copies can be shared. When a 3D replica of an object is held in hand, it brings archaeology to life much more than a picture in a book.

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The Clovis projectile point on left, is from the Shawnee Minisink Archaeology Site in Pennsylvania. It is almost 12,000 years old, and was sent here for molding and casting. The new cast (left side) is now used by museums and teaching institutions for reference.

Below: Eden Point Cast

(7-9,000 years ago)

Clovis Final Preform Hogeye Cache, TX (13,000 BP)

A lithic cast shows the actual texture and flakes scars of the artifact. The clovis biface on the left shows the stage before final finishing, and the cast captures this moment in time.

The point on the right shows the factor of color or translucence, also important information for reference study.

Alachua point and cast(3 -6,000 BP

The Paleoindian period refers to the time span between the first arrival of people in North America and the turn of the Ice Age. Although the time and direction of the first people is still debated, roughly 13,000 years ago the Clovis Culture Complex was set in. The hallmark of this period is the fluted spear point, the disappearance of the megafauna, and the great changes in the climate and flora of the Ice Age.

This period in North America refers to the time between the ending of the Ice Age, and the more settled cultures associated with the use of pottery. During this time there is an explosion of different cultures and point types, many of which show the new feature of "notching" and different hafting. Ground stone celts and bannerstones show up in the stone tool record, along with new pottery techniques.

This period in North America roughly deals with the time when cultures settled down more in areas with the use of pottery and agriculture. The arrival of the bow and arrow is generally thought to have happened here around 2,000 years ago, and brought with it an explosion of new types of stone tool work in the form of arrowheads and farming tools.

This period refers to the time span of the beginnings of stone tools in Africa, and through the spread to Europe and Asia, and up to the point of around 10,000 years ago. The hallmark of this time is certainly the Hand Axe, which is the longest running tool type in history. The most recent 30,000 years or so shows a great increase in the use of cores and blades, as well as the first known true projectile points.

(Pre-Columbian, before 1600's)

For our category groups here, the term Mesoamerican will refer to the regions of Mexico and Central America, and also include the South American archaeological cultures

Paleoindian Period

Archaic Period

Woodland Period

Old World

Mesoamerican

Our lithic casts are all from direct molds of the authentic originals, reflecting the microscopic surface of the ancient artifact. Colors are intended to match the original raw material as well, and our techniques are improving constantly. The quality of our methods is way ahead of 3D printers, and we will be continually adding more examples to our listings every month.