Hand Tools Made to Fit	by David Marolf
Central States Archaeological Societies 2023 January Journal	Manchester, Iowa

This excerpt from "Hand Tools Made to Fit" published in the 2023 Central States Archaeological Societies 2023 January Journal Read this and mores in the Central States Archaeological 2023 January Journal which can be purchased on-line after March 2024
Figure 1. End (thumb) scrapers. Notice the bulb of percussion on the front (obverse) side of the two examples at left and the large flake scar on the back (reverse) side of the right example. With this flake scar the tool fits very comfortably between the thumb and second knuckle of the index finger of a right hand. Middle scraper is 2 ¾” long. Collection of the author

Shape, weight and fit are the characteristics I would use if asked to describe my favorite hand tools. It seems ancient people also envisioned these same attributes as they knapped and ground implements to use most every day for a variety of purposes. It can be amazing to pick up a prehistoric tool and just have it settle into your hand! All of the pictured examples were discovered by the author, and, although none have a high monetary value in today’s world, their value in ancient times was high.

A good example of this is the scraper. Scrapers are likely the most commonly discovered of all artifacts as they were made by all cultures in all time periods. There were literally millions of them made and discarded over the past 15 millennia. The most common scraper is the end scraper, which is aptly referred to as a thumb scraper by many collectors (Fig. 1). Held between the thumb and index finger, they were used to scrape hide, wood, bone, or any material that needed smoothing or shaping. Thumb scrapers are generally unifacially knapped from the spall of a knappable stone core with their bit or working end wider that the base. Quite often the bulb of percussion is obvious on the basal end of the unknapped side of the spall where the core material was struck with a mallet. This was accomplished before the bit was knapped. The bit can easily and often be resharpened. End scrapers come in a wide range of sizes but are usually 1”- 3” long.

Another tool commonly made to fit one’s grip is the side scraper. They are similarly constructed as end scrapers but often from a longer spall. They are often 3” or longer, and the bit is knapped the length of one lateral side of the tool instead of one end. As only one edge is sharpened the opposing unsharpened “gripping” edge fits in the palm of the hand more comfortably while using the tool. Some knappers have even enhanced this gripping area making it even more comfortable than just a dull edge (Fig. 2). Side scrapers were utilized on projects where a wider bit stroke would be beneficial. For example, scraping fat or hair from pelts in the tanning process.

Scrapers were multi-use tools. I call them the Swiss Army Knife of the ancient world. Often both the end and side scraper are incorporated into the same stone spall with the end and one or both sides knapped (Fig. 3). The bit of scrapers can easily be configured or reconfigured into many shapes by an experienced flint knapper (Fig. 4). These fine points can be utilized when engraving wood, bone, softer rock or pottery (called a graver) or a recurved bit for making and smoothing a handle or shaft (called a shaft straightener or shaft scraper).

The hand chopper/scraper is another flaked tool that is often ...

 

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