May 17th 2014 Primitive American Artifacts Sale (12)
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/16/2014
Mississippian period 1100 - 600 B.P. Dover, Mill Creek, Kaolin and Hornstone cherts, Sumner County Tennessee. (1) Keeled or “Hump Backed” Chisel. Dover chert. 9 1/2 L. x 1 - 7/16” W. x Th. 23mm x Bit width 1/2”. Made from a very high grade of dover with a highly polished tapering that is perfect. (2) Flat bellied ADZ Dover Chert. 8 - 3/8” L. x 2 - 1/2” W. x TH. 25mm. Super polish top to bottom confirms this adze as a long term woodworking tool. Immaculate polished bit. Deep gray inclusions within the stones matrix indicate a high quartz, high quality specimen of Dover chert. (3) Flat Bellied ADZ Dover chert. 5 - 7/8” L. x 1 - 7/8” W. Highly polished woodworking tool with an incredibly perfect, mirror finish bit. (4) Keeled ADZ Gray Horn Stone. 4 - 3/4” L. x 1 - 5/16” W. High quality Horn Stone allowed the ancient maker to hone the bit or the adze so fine that it remains sharp enough to cut your fingers. This is as good as it gets. (5) Celt Dover chert. 3 - 7/8” L. x 1” W. Nice polish and symmetry with an immaculate bit edge. (6) Celt-Kaolin Flint. 3 - 7/16” L. Made of one of the highest grades of flint in the Southeast, this material was probably traded into middle Tennessee from its source in Southern Illinois. Translucent and magnificently polished. Small chip on one bit side does not detract from the symmetry. Its inclusion in this cache, representing an exotic trade addition, suggests a possible ritualistic meaning. (7) Chisel - Dover chert . 4 - 1/2” L. x 7/8” W. Although complete and useable this is the final stage for a chisel after being re sharpened numerous times. Highly used polished bit with a tiny chip on one side.(8) Chisel- Mill Creek chert. 3 - 3/4” L. x 1” W. A final stage chisel featuring a highly polished bit. The source for this chert is Southern Illinois, so here is another exotic trade item included in this cache.This entire group of eight polished tools were discovered cached together in the remains of a Mississippian hut floor in Sumner County Tennessee. The fact that four different high quality chert varieties were assembled in this cache suggests a meaning beyond coincidence.