overshot flaking free sample

Overshot flaking has become a thing for me recently. An overshot flake is one that travels the complete width of the artefact, and considerably reduces depth in the process. It is a part of the European Solutrean, as well as the North American Clovis technologies. I currently have an abundance of large hard hammer flakes, and my understanding of platform preparation has improved. The result of these coinciding factors is that I have begun to be more consistent with overshot flakes. This is good!

And this is the ventral. I said in a previous post that I am not consistent with overshot flaking, but I was able to turn the proto-handaxe over and after some basic hard hammer platform isolation and preparation remove another one from the opposite face. Because I was working in this considered way I started to collect the removals in order, to understand better the relationship here between my theory and my practice.

The thinning process was working and so I carried on, slowly and systematically. Ultimately things didn’t go as planned and the remnant proto-handaxe is top left in the above photograph. Number 17 was the second overshot flake and 14, 12, 10 and 8 were all good removals. I still haven’t got my handaxe, but I have got a good refitting sequence.

This study utilizes data from the Gault site (41BL323) to address intentionality in Clovis overshot Clovis; overshot; Paleoindian;

Abstract Lohse, Collins, and Bradley ignore or misrepresent the arguments we have made concerning “controlled” overshot flaking and the purported Ice-Age Atlantic Crossing. Here, we summarize our previous work and explain again how it directly tests the explicit claims of Stanford and Bradley (2012; Bradley and Stanford 2004, 2006). We also correct the inaccuracies and false accusations of Lohse, Collins, and Bradley, and refute their belief that arguments should be rejected or accepted on the…Expand

A narrow biface that had reached an advanced stage of reduction showed at least one near-overshot flake scar. A large divot near the overshot apparently represents an accidental break by a sharp blow perpendicular to the face. Since flakes can be refit to reconstruct the damaged portion, the breakage has to be attributed either to damage at time of deposit or after discovery.

Overshot flakes generally require deliberate planning to avoid disastrous knapping errors. Many early cultures used overshots, but none more readily than Clovis. The lack of more overshots is more likely due to the relatively thin tabular source than to a lack of ability.

Twice as many major flakes are oriented toward the tip as toward the base, although some individual faces show a flaking bias toward the base. Overshots angled to the tip are easier to incorporate into a projectile shape than when an overshot bites away width near the base. This is especially important in that extra width is sacrificed beyond what would be lost by originating flakes from near the tip and angling them toward the base.

Overshot flakes are used persistently until the final projectile thickness is reached. Since overshot flakes require 4 to 5 mm thickness in order to carry reliably from edge-to-edge, once final projectile thickness is attained, overshot flaking is discontinued. Continued flaking after target thickness is reached would lower W/T ratios, interfere with hafting, and weaken the point. Strongest patterning is on the thickest projectile point (plate 1), possibly because there was ample thickness to control the flake pattern.

Biface 2, represented by two halves, measures 33.8 cm long by 14.87 cm wide and 27.3 mm thick. The edge of this biface was sharpened and evened with the same care as biface 1. Major flaking scars have removed all traces of prior stages of work.

Biface 4 is an unfluted triangular preform measuring 15.7 cm long by 46 mm wide and 15 mm thick. Despite a noticeable twist along the long axis of the biface, the biface could still be converted to a straight projectile point. No flute is present and the ends are tapered skillfully. Edges are even, and closely spaced selective flake scars show no tendency toward overshot.

Biface 6 measures 10.3 cm long by 48 mm wide and 13.5 mm thick and is tapered at one surviving end that is interpreted as a face of the original chert quarry blank. Flaking does not show overshot remnants, but is free of step terminations and shows excellent command of surface contour. Apparently, it was curated after a manufacturing error severed the preform tip.

Collectively, these metrics revealed the difficulty involved in the four technologies under investigation. Discoidal flaking was repeatedly found to be the easiest among the sample, involving large platforms, large flakes relative to total mass, long blanks relative to flaking surface length, and short strike times.