How to Make Stone Tools

Nate Salzman

The day of the CCASM September meeting was dreary with a threat of rain, but then the sun came out late in the afternoon.  It was really good to have the sun out since this was the first in-person meeting since March 2020 and it was to be held outdoors at Burch House in the Port Tobacco Village.

At the September 9 CCASM meeting Nate Salzman demonstrated how to flint knap, i.e. how to remove flakes from stones.  As he knapped he talked about what is involved in making stone tools -- selecting the rock, finding the location on the rock to strike, and using different types of tools to remove the flakes.   Although we usually think of flint knapping as a means of creating projectile points, Nate showed how a single flake could also be a tool.

Striking a piece of Obsidian
with the base of an Antler

Looking at stone artifacts from Charles County
(in the "dark" at the end of the meeting)

 

Nate Salzman is an Education and Exhibits Specialist at Jefferson Paterson Park and Museum (JPPM).  Nate is also the manager of the Indian Village at JPPM and conducts a number of JPPM Workshops relating to primitive technologies.

Before the meeting
(Notice the bug spray)

Attendance: 15

Making Stone Tools

Tim Thoman

At the May 10 meeting we gathered outside our meeting place to watch Tim Thoman demonstrate making stone tools.  Tim described the process and demonstrated using different materials and different methods until it started getting too dark to see.  We saw him percussion flaking (hitting the stones with either a hammerstone, an antler, or a wooden billet) and pressure flaking.  He ended with a fire making demonstration.

Tim is the Native American Village Manager at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum.

And we saved most of the flakes Tim generated to be used as a learning guide.

Percussion Flaking

Bipolar Percussion

Pressure Flaking

 Attendance: 14