HBL Chert Multi-purpose tool
In 1994 during the initial visit and documentation of the site designated as EcJw-1, one of the artifacts recovered was a multi-purpose tool made out of the raw material known as Hudson Bay Lowland (HBL) chert. This ancient belonging is flaked to a point along two edges but the flaking only occurs on the topside of the item. It is approximately 8.4 cm in length and 3.2 cm in width. The weight is of the object is 31 grams.
Photo (with scale) of multi-purpose tool (top view)
Photo (with scale) of multi-purpose tool (bottom view)
The bottom of this multi-purpose tool is flat. Therefore, since a series of secondary flakes were not removed from bottom surface of the object, it is classified as a uniface (not a biface which is the term applied to artifacts that have been flaked on more than one surface). It is likely that, with a scrapping motion, the flat bottom surface of this tool was used to remove unwanted material from hides, bones or other objects such as wood.
Photo of multi-purpose tool showing edge flaked at a steep angle
Photo of multi-purpose tool showing edge flaked at a tapered angled
However, although the angle of flaking along the edge of one side of the tool is quite steep (allowing it to function well as a scraping implement), the angle of flaking along the alternate edge is more bevelled (less steep) making it more suitable for cutting purposes. Furthermore, the tool is tapered towards the front with a pointed tip that would allow cutting, poking or etching. Consequently, since this artifact can function in many ways, it is categorized as a multi-purpose tool.
Another cool aspect of this artifact relates to an amazing discovery made in 2010 at the same site. In that year a very large (jumbo) HBL chert core was found embedded within the eroded shoreline. (Click the link to read a detailed account of the jumbo HBL chert core ). Although the multi-purpose tool was collected sixteen years before this (and from a location of the site approximately 75 feet away), I could not help but think about a possible connection between the two artifacts.
That is, could the multi-purpose tool have been made from a flake taken off the jumbo core? The colour and the mottled variation of the HBL chert material embedded within tool was similar to that of the jumbo core. This twigged my curiosity and I could not help but try and match the two artifacts together. Unfortunately, I was unable to perfectly refit the tool an exact space on the core created by flake removal. However, by visually comparing the tool to the core, one can see the possibilities of a connection between the two items. Nothing definitive, but maybe, just maybe…..
View of HBL chert multi-purpose tool compared to flake removal area on jumbo HBL chert core recovered from EcJw-1
Enlarged view of HBL chert multi-purpose tool interfaced with jumbo HBL chert core both recovered from EcJw-1
