Friday, December 14, 2018

Making Notches With Stone Tools

Among my projects, I have been looking at making notches, for stone points, using only stone tools.  This aspect sometimes get glossed over discussing hafting technics.  There are a number of technics I have come across.  These photos are by Tom Mills (aka Paleo Aleo, on Paleo Planet).  In sequence, a stone drill is used to make a hole, from both sides.  A stone flake cuts a groove from the hole to the end of the shaft.  The notch plug is then cut or knocked out of the shaft with an antler punch, not pictured.  The notch is then cleaned up with a sharp flake.  Just thinking, an antler wedge could be used to help split and remove the notch plug.  I came across some information in the Society of Primitive Technology bulletin that carving the base of the notch to a sharp “V”, is superior to leaving the base flat and rough.  On impact, flat rough bases tend to blow off the side of the notch.  A V-shaped base tends to split the shaft, but wrapping the shaft with sinew strengthens that.



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