Mysterious Mineral Collection Subpage 8
Engraver
The stone tool in the picture above is an engraver.
Engraver are used for engraving, or etching in artwork
on vessel and pottery making. This specimen has a
pointed edge along with some finger imprints for gripping.
Kyanite
The above mineral is kyanite. Kyanite is one of the minerals
found in jacinth stones that have zircons crystals. There are also
other similar zircon crystals such a biotite and sillmanite.
Kyanite forms in a hi degree of metamorphism.
Layered Rock
The stone specimen above is a layered rock.
The layered rock above has many angles to it.
It appears to be a large arrow head or projectile
point of some kind perhaps. Either way it must have
been broken and discarded.
Light Colored Burin
The stone tool in the picture above is a light colored burin.
Stone burins always have a notch on one end to
aid in cutting animal hides open. Then the idea is to use
a stone scraper to scrap the edible meats and flesh
from the carcass.
Limestone Shaper
The stone tool specimen in the picture above is a
limestone shaper. It is used to help shape pottery in
the making. Limestone is a chemical sedimentary rock
which is made of calcite. Limestone can be tested by
dropping hydrochloric on it to perform an "acid test."
Limestone is fine to coarse grained and it is found in
association with fossil fragments. Limestone comes in
many colors black, gray, or tan. This specimen has
a tan tint to it
Lithic Flake Hammer
The stone tool in the picture above is a lithic flake hammer.
The stone tool also has some jagged edges on one side
indicating that it may have been a type of war club as well
which may have been used in the Bloody Basin War with
the Southwest Tonto Hohokam and the Spaniards fighting.
Malachite
The stone specimen in the picture above is malachite.
Malachite has the properties of having a smooth
green color to it. The stone could easily be confused
with that of a green variety of emerald. Malachite
is a mineral that has no cleavage.
Micro blade
The stone tool in the picture previously is a micro blade.
This particular micro blade is in a trapeze shape making
it a trapeze micro blade. This stone tool can be used for
scraping and grinding away debris. Can be held with the
fingers like a razor blade making it easy to apply firm
pressure for scraping.
Mineralized Tooth
Shaped Rock
The stone specimen in the photograph above appears
to looks like a mineralized tooth shaped rock. Back in the
days of the Hohokam teeth were used as tools for trading.
There was no money other than precious gold and
minerals and that they had plenty of anyways.
Mudstone
The stone specimen in the photograph above
happens to be mudstone. Mudstone is a classic
sedimentary rock which is similar to shalt and siltstone.
The characteristics of mudstone are massive.
Natural Pumice Stone
The stone tool in the picture above is a natural pumice
stone. Natural pumice stones make good bath stones
for cleaning the skin off in the river. They are also used
to smooth away calluses along with hard and dry skin.
Net Sinker
The stone tool above is of a net sinker. This stone tool is
a stone that has been used in with fishing line. There are
grooves in and around the stone displaying how it was
tied to a hand held fishing line and used like a lead
fishing weight to weigh the fishing line down.
Notch
The stone tool in the photograph above is a stone notch.
This particular stone tool was used with making notches
which were used to chip away small notches of material
away from the base or side of the projectile point to
aid in the hafting and flaking of sharp grooves along
the side of the arrowhead or projectile point.
Painting Stone possibly
with some Limonite forming
The stone tool in the photograph above is a painting
stone which seems to have some limonite forming
on one side. Limonite is usually found in riverbeds
where there are limestone present.
Palette Knife with some
tan paint on the bottom
The stone tool above is a palette knife with
some tan paint at the bottom of it. This palette
knife was used to aid in the painting of vessel
and pottery making. This particular palette knife
has a good gripping handle on one side.
Peat Moss with
some chert
The stone specimen above is peat moss with some chert.
Chert can be found in reef and carbonate platforms
and it's similar to limestone and dolostone. Chert is
also found in association with marine fossils and oolites.
This specimen was found near the Agua Fria River bed
where there are many mosses and algae present.
Pestle
The stone tool in the photograph up above is of a pestle.
A pestle is similar to a mano which is used in a metate.
However a pestle is used with a mortar. Moreover the mortar is
part of a huge basalt boulder that bigger than a car.
This stone tool can be used to crush, smash, and
roll proteins such as corn.
Petrified Rim Pottery
The pottery fragment above is of a petrified rim pottery piece.
This piece comes from the top base of either some faunal
utensils or some pottery used as artwork.
Polished Stone Abrader
The stone tool above is of a polished stone abrader.
This particular abrader is missing the "v-notch" to
sharpen and straighten arrows. It may have been modified
into something else or it was discarded.
Possibly a Cheek
Bone Fragment
The bone fragment above is possibly a cheek bone fragment.
Of course, the bone fragment is still too small to identify
with the osteology of human or even any animals t
hat may be prevalent in the area.
Below is a link to "Mysterious Mineral Collection" subpage 9.