Rocks As ToolsCan You Identify Stone

Technologies?

Dave Winer - Summer wheat field in Saskatchewan

Hammer stone or maul

Why would a hammer stone need a groove?

Stone fish net weight

Why would it be helpful for a weigh stone to have a groove?

Core flint and arrowhead

Where does flint come from?

Axe head

How would you lash this axe head to a haft?

Stone knife

What ‘natural knife’ has this shape?

Hide scraping tool – side scraper

What kind of arm movement would you use with this tool?

What kind of arm movement would you use with this tool?

Hide scraping tool – end scraper

Sharpening Stone

Stone tools requiring sharp edges, like knife blades, axe heads, and scrapers, would become blunt with use and wear.

The edge of these stones could be sharpened by abrading each side on a hard surface, wearing down the joining edge to a sharp point.

The ‘edge angle’ is the angle between a sharpening stone and a blade. If it is small, you will have a very thin, sharp edge, that will be able to make very precise cuts.

If the edge angle is wider you will have a shorter blade, but it will be stronger and more resistant to breaking and chipping.

Arrange the following stone tools in order of the edge angle that you would use to sharpen them:

A) A tailor’s cutting bladeB) An axe headC) A hide scraperD) A sewing awl

What about these?

Saskatchewan Archaeological Society, Saskatoon, Phone: 306-664-4124

Department of Archaeology and Anthropology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Phone: 306-966-4175

Heritage Conservation Branch, Ministry of Parks, Culture and Sport, Regina, Phone: 306-787-2817

Royal Saskatchewan Museum, Aboriginal History Unit, ReginaPhone: 306-787-1644

What should you do if you find a stone artefact in Saskatchewan?