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.