When I can. I lost about 100 pounds of black Tn flint to a thief, which I am still fumming over. With that loss, I also lost the 01 Nomad, the contents of the saddlebags, all the clothing my wife didn't have on, many fossils, a deer skull with antlers on, camping supplies, all in the way to steal the bike, and boxed up, inside an enclosed trailer locked.
I spent hours searching and then digging. I don't get to just run off to Tn anytime I want either.
I have been up east in Maine to gather munsungun cherts which are a bright gray with black streakings, and a maroon color as well but harder to come by. Both of these cherts have been discovered in the Great Lakes areas, in shards, which evidently represent a trade in tool stone.
I lived in the dead center of the Ossipee Ring D I K E (nanny gets me) once and found some workable stone there as well, but not much. What is more interesting to me, is that you can walk up the brook beds and see where some other man tested rock the same way I do.
I don't know if it is other knappers in more modern times or it was from Paleo Man in his time with others coming after as I do. The Ossipee stone isn't the best, but it does the job anyway.
I have come by crude white quartz points in RI, so I know poor quality stone is better than no stone at all. The atlatal evolved a few thousand years after stone tipped spears. Spears are supposed to have not be thrown. As I understand it they were a form, the earliest form of a pole arm.
More or less stone blades only work once. At least in my experience, since the material is so brittle.
Smaller arrow heads might last a little longer, since they don't have much weight, and depending on what gets hit a point might be used again. Most any bow hunter knows his arrow isn't going to be reusable on say killing a deer, but the point will usually be ok to haft on another shaft.
This may be a reason more arrow heads are found intact, than larger tools.
I believe that back in the day most every male knew how to work stone, and as well members of a tribe/clan were specialists, who may not have had to hunt, being able to trade tools and points for food.
My wife took the shots I have of that day. The sun was pretty bright, and the camera un-familar to her, being borrowed. I was a lot redder than it shows in the pic. I was paid to assist in a making of a video which will promote a book. I was just the only man as close to paleo as can be found in my area. I have nothing to do with the book, or anything else.
I am not sure exactly what the people who contracted with me expected. I can only guess the gasp I heard upon first sight, was I exceeded any expectations
On the other hand I am far to old to have been alive literally speaking, a younger man would have been a better persona, but then you can't find a younger man with the same skill sets I have. I was already 30 with none of these skill sets, not having been raised in paloe or early woodland times, and so my lessons started a tad late.
There is no metal, cloth, glass, or anything in that pic, no modern things at all, only what is possible for paleo man to have, and of course i bought every bit of it at walmart
Besides the one piece bark container over my shoulder, there was another woven bag not in view, stuffed with tools more. The strap on the bark container looking 'quiver' like was stuffed full of tools too. I even had a wardrobe malfunction and was forced to use a bone handled stone neck knife to cut some leather thongs with. The white leather I did try to tone down for the 'look' but bright white brain tan is correct, just not seemingly so to the modern eye.
Unforunately the wind was really whippin' that day, so I didn't bother with a bow drill fire, but had 3 bow drills with me, and knapping tools with rock. Everyone else was shivering in down vests and jackets too. I was cold, but not so cold I couldn't deal with it, but I did ask if there is a next time if it could be a milder time, since I don't have much if any paleo winter garb.
I did have a couple yottes to wear that I didn't. Along the way I make little discoveries too, one of which is paint is warmer than nothing, some what wind resistant, some what water resistant, and it does a bang up job on bugs, not that there were any bugs that day.
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I'm hot for Mac Muz so much that I actually enjoyed him sending me private messages saying I looked like a NYC hooker
Dont get to full of yourself.
