December
29
December
28
Sometime after the recession of the Port Huron Ice Sheet and the Valders Ice Advance, paleo hunters developed a culture that honored the animals they hunted by incorporating the images of these animals into the artifacts they left behind. Although many animals of the era were recreated in these artifacts, birds seem to have the most representation. Why paleo peoples created these animal image artifacts is open to conjecture, and we have offered our own insights on this matter. Stone Age New York has found other tools of unusual design in affiliation with these stone animal images. All of the stone tools shown here were found in close proximity along a stream that flows into the Genesee River.
Though they are few in number, the variety of different tool forms is impressive. We found rare sickle and crescent shaped artifacts as well as lanceolate styled artifacts. The "birdhead" artifact is probably an atlatl dart.
Photo 1: Genesee River at Letchworth State Park.
Photo 2: Stone Bird Culture artifacts.
November
03
This gorgeous Clovis knife/spearhead was knapped from grey and white translucent chert. The outstanding detail and craftsmanship that went into this artifact make it worthy of possession by a chief or shaman and may have had ceremonial purposes as well. This artifact could of been used as either a handheld knife or a spearhead when hafted to a wooden shaft. The tang on the right side of the artifact prevents prey from shedding the spearhead and escaping its hunter. The knife is decorated with red ocher and could also have been used as a weapon of war. The translucence of the material it was made from is demonstrated by placing a light bulb hehind it as shown in photo 4.
Throughout our articles on the artifacts that SANY has found, we often mention how far advanced the weapon technology of the Paleo peoples had evolved. A sideview of this artifact clearly shows that Clovis and related weapon makers were aware of aerodynamic principals that are routinely used today in jet fighter aircraft. The similarity in design of this spearhead to modern military fighter aircraft is uncanny.
Artifact was found along the banks of the Genesee River and is a part of the Spiritwalker collection.
Photo 1: Genesee Clovis Knife, front view.
Photo 2: Dorsal Side of Knife.
Photo 3: Side view.
Photo 4: Translucence demonstrated.
October
12
Paleo Indians living in western New York State engineered stone tools with surfaces that had more than one tier along its length. In this example we present two such artifacts, the first, a rectangular piece with a two-tiered surface on one side. The second is a large stone blade with a three-tiered surface.
Artifact number one may be a multi-purpose tool that functions as a hammer stone as well as a wood planer. The tip of the artifact is angled, allowing the tool to split wood or other material.
Artifact number two is a curved stone blade we call "The Stone Sword". This tool has a straight edge blade on one side and a curved blade on the other giving the artifact the appearance of a sword. This artifact is basally thinned, perpendicularly to the surface and notched for precise hafting. Could it be that swords were originally a North American invention? This stone sword is some 7000 plus years older than the bronze age swords which were invented in the middle east around 1600BCE.
Photo 1: Rectangular artifact with double-tiered surface. (top view)
Photo 2: Side view of artifact showing double-tiered surface.
Photo 3: Stone Sword. (top view)
Photo 4: Side view of artifact showing triple-tiered surface.
Photo 5: Close up of base of Stone Sword.
