When your thumbnail just isn't strong enough
Artificial nails were in use many tens of thousands of years ago...
Just not the ones that normally come to mind, when that phrase is used.
I introduce to you the Thumbnail scraper.
When you have a bit of bark that need peelings, or a piece of leather, that needs a good scrape, to clean it up and soften it. Don't break a nail, use a thumbnail scraper...
Scrapers are made from broken blades and any other suitable stone flakes.
The edge of the flake is pressed against a hard stone to break off fine chips and steepen and strengthen the edge.
The flake or broken blade is held in the fingers as shown below.
The steepened and strengthened edge then provide a fine scraping tool...
The smallest ones are indeed the size of a thumbnail and these would be used for fine, delicate scraping tasks.
Generally for things like the final stages of softening fine leather, trimming bows and arrows, preparing food etc.
Interesting, I find tons of similar looking items around the Pawnee Grasslands of Colorado! I've found all kinds of flint/chert, agate, petrified wood, jasper, etc, and a lot of it actually looks like scrapers or some type of tool. Do you ever help people identify what they've found?... Maybe when I officially start blogging I will have to ask my Steemit friends if they can identify some of my curious finds. Thanks for the informative and intriguing write up!
sure I will help, but its harder to do with only pictures
Just be sure to check your local laws, you can photograph it for sure with no issues but taking any of it can cause a problem or be illegal. Most states have laws saying you cannot move petrified wood at all. Anything like what is shown in the photos can be considered Native American artifacts and are generally protected as well unless you are Native American or have permission to collect them.
They can be interesting to find though and usually in the western US if you find one you can find more of them close by since once they found the type of rock they needed they would generally stop and make as many tools as they needed while they were there.
Enjoy the area you are in Colorado is some beautiful country!
Love it, Hoping one day to find a intact point or axe head. Mostly I discover flakes on my hunts some small and some quite large. Thanks for this informative post🐓
I used to find a ton with my uncle when I was a kid. I am going down to visit him next month I need to photograph his collection.
my sister's nails are stronger
lol
LOL, Try to get my Wife on this site.
Interesting information, never heard about them.
Like the idea of fake nails so long ago
Really good posts on a topic I am interested in. I am always on the lookout for such objects in the great lakes area near the old copper pits.
post your finds
...shortly after this discovery, primitive man learned how to use practically anything as. Bottle opener... :P
Hehheh, interesting post gavvet! I am interested in archaeology too, just having some fun.
Cheers, from @thedamus
Gosh this was so interesting. Speaking of archeology, did you see the recent fin in New Mexico?
please enlighten us...
I imagine they still had much thicker and stronger nails then we do today
So this is what the stone age was all about, stone tools!
coincidental perhaps?