There are thousands of hand axes plucked from fields. They are mostly made out of very tight grained granite, and finished by grinding...
Hi. Still read that flintstone was by far far the mainly used material. Earlier I mentioned the area I live in and the 400+ ex flint mines going back 5000 years. A few of them have been strengthened and have access for visiting. In one of them there is shown a very large flintstone about twice/thrice + football size - never realised they could be that large - how did they get the first break into them. Also mentioned is that a lot of the actual "digging out" was done using Red Deer antlers - did I read these were also used during knapping flint?. Not directly related but interesting and new to me was mention of "pingos" which were/are ponds formed as the glaciers retreated in Ice Age - worth reading about.
Looks just like rocks that have split on the edge of the fire pit up at the cabin. When a good sized one splits in half I use them for bookends. They are smooth straight splits like yours, sometimes in multiple pieces depending on the grain of the rock. Not a very good pic, but you can see a couple of examples.
Hi Jewell. Good idea of yours - stones of all sizes, shapes,colours are very interesting - I love to walk along a stony beach/area picking up and having a good look at them. Do occasionally find a fossil half. A little request - I am very much an "outdoor" person and mention of your cabin and firepit says you are also - as I believe are so many US folk. We had US Air Force neighbours and their barbecues and outdoor activities were a very regular item. Love to hear all about the cabin - its setting etc which sounds great.
Hubby cooks on the outdoor barbecue year round. Looked to see if I'd posted about the cabin in the past. Found an old blog entry of mine here at the Stew. It was a typical time at the cabin. Things haven't changed any. Hubby has a yearly "boys weekend" the first weekend of June and sometimes it seems friends and family have used it more than us as life has gotten so busy. http://www.gardenstew.com/blog/e5463-30-reflections-and-a-cabin-in-the-woods.html This blog entry has pics of the area http://www.gardenstew.com/blog/e5463-19-the-sound-and-olympic-mts.html It was actually fun searching for the blog. Got to see how the yard has evolved since I have been posting here.
Hi Jewell. Thanks very much for showing/details pics of your cabin. Have read your very interesting old blogs and the comments made at the time. I am nearly lost for words having seen the cabin in its most beautiful beautiful surroundings with all the many types of wildlife --- perhaps not lost for words after all - how about "a little heaven on earth" - sounds mightily appropriate. What a wonderful set up - nice house in Town and lovely cabin in the wilds - such a lovely " get away from it all" - well done and good for you. Delighted that you all have had/are having so much enjoyment from it over all the years. I can totally understand all the things you mention including the music of the rain on the roof - right up my own street in fact - would be my ideal. Thanks again. Best wishes. Syd. PS> In the pic of you and your husband in the top right hand corner is that a Bat hanging there - probably plenty about.
That thing Syn, is a opossum skin, poor critter off eBay. When we first got the cabin my hubby thought it would be cool to have a mounted deer, elk, or bear. Something big and manly, right from the great wilds. Finances always being a determining factor I got him a possum skin and a boars head. Cheap, dead, 2nd hand and from the Midwest somewhere. Both have names, Roadkill, and Bud Weiser. Conversation starters since none of our friends are much into dead animals (well most are for eating) either.
Hi Jewell. Ref the "Bat" thank you - all is explained. Looked just like a Bat hanging there. Love the names of your two "Trophies". Syd.
That would depend on what its use would be.. Native Americans were very opportunistic as well as knappers. If a stone broke with a good edge,, it would be used for whatever the need was. Of course I am only familiar with the people of our area,, Caddo tribe. Do you know what tribes were predominate in your area Carolyn ? It really looks like a de-fleshing tool to me. A scraper. For de-fleshing hides. Even broke appears to be a good size for that. A little thick for a knife. Sure would be good to see the whole thing.
Mart, we had the Chippewa Indians here. There is a a huge abundance of arrow heads and flint in the area (especially behind the house I grew up in). My brother was always picking up the arrow heads. I never saw a one. I am leaning towards a fossil though (like a claw). I saw something very similar on a fossil site but it was just a picture in the heading of their page. I couldn't find an image of their picture though. Maybe this Fall/Winter I will have time to take to the natural history museum and ask.
Hi carolyn. A very interesting subject altogether and it would be great if you could get it positively identified. Our forebears given the very limited materials available to them were very clever and innovative peoples. Another thought is that they lived with the land/earth and took only what they needed and putting back where they could. Syd.
Definitely an intriguing find. When I looked at the first photo it reminded me of a (maybe fossilized) deer hoof but the other photos took that notion away. Interesting and just makes rooting about in the dirt all the more fascinating
Hi. Something else I came across from time to time whilst in garden or out on a walk was almost perfectly round/spherical stones. The were in two sizes in the approx five eighths - three quarter inch range. They had that deliberately made look about them so did " look them up" and seems they could be old stone pistol and musket balls - from back in the flintlock rifle days if so?. I read any slight "out of roundness" with them in the barrel was rectified by wrapping a piece of muslin round them before loading. Any info ??.
@Sydney Smith - sounds like you might have a theory there re: musket balls. Wonder if they could be dated or traced to an incident that historically happened in your garden. MAYBE you've got the answer to an old mystery!!
Hi Islandlife. Thanks for your comment and interest. I think its a very definite possibility that these stone pistol/musket balls could relate to particular incidents that happened here - military as well as simply folks getting a meal of a Deer/Bird/Rabbit etc. Just to take one possibility where masses of pistol/musket balls would have been used is the Civil War here back in Cromwells days which spread all over the British Isles and much of it in Essex and Suffolk which is where I found them. Colchester ( I believe there was a siege there) and surrounding areas in Essex was particularly involved - my last garden was there.. There was many many battles and skirmishes up and down the country. Forgive any errors but I am not too clued up on all this - will have a Google and see if I can get a better idea. Syd. Edit. A quick Google revealed there was a siege of Colchester in summer of 1648 and the whole area Essex & Suffolk was heavily embroiled with many skirmishes. So much involved in it all so may I suggest Googling it if interested.
