I am no archeologist, but could this have been a way to show skill in their craft, almost like an apprenticeship project?

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

I think that’s a logical and realistic idea. Kinda like…make a circle and go from there. Interesting

@bradlafferty

4 ай бұрын

Similar to a Try Stick for bushcrafting.

@markreynolds9343

4 ай бұрын

I'd like to submit my resume and apply for the tool making position.

@warpdrive101

4 ай бұрын

That's what I thought could it be exam piece, graduation disk or my second thought was a throwing, hunting method especially if u have no sticks,or wood is hard to come by

@Syngekhoomei

4 ай бұрын

I thought the same. Seems like a flex

Old time pizza cutter. Lol

@SonoraSlinger

4 ай бұрын

If they had pizza, I bet it had wild cat or mammoth on it. And that makes me want it kinda.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Haha. No doubt!

@thepawofdoom5001

4 ай бұрын

True 😂

@kevinotteson4858

4 ай бұрын

That’s the first thing that come to my head too lol

@DISPOSITIONS23

4 ай бұрын

Damn beat me to it

I know EXACTLY what that is because I make them my self. It’s an Animal hide scraper. When you skin an animal you need to remove any meat and fat from the inner skin side of the hide. This is because it will cause the skin and therefore hide to spoil before you brain tan the hide. This was a known method used the world over and is the ancient way of tanning a hide to preserve it so you can used it without it spoiling. I make stone tools (flint knapping) and I found out through trial and error (and I made a lot of them) that this shaped is best for scraping the meat and fat from the hide. I even left the nodule on the back to hold it but I’ve never seen this video or that ancient tool ever. I simply arrived at this tool by a lot of trial and error by my self. You don’t know how amazing this is to recognise that tool because our ancient ancestors must of done the same thing and naturally arrived at the same conclusion as me. I’m astounded and this has made my year.

@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking

4 ай бұрын

Can it clean skin a beaver?

@Biketunerfy

4 ай бұрын

@@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking I would assume so. I mostly work deer and other 4 legged big animals so don’t go near rodents usually but I’ll give it a go. Any small animals I do turn into hides are usually predators but sometimes I do tan nuisance predators pelts that someone shot because it was attacking or killing farm animals and rather than let the pelt spoil I tan them and preserve the coats. Another interesting fact is there is just and I mean just enough brains to tan the hide from the animal your tanning. I can tell you step by step how to tan and preserve the pelt if anyone wishes to know. It will be pretty long though,

@sidilicious11

3 ай бұрын

I think you may have hit upon its use! I learned to make brain tanned buckskin back in my 20’s. I used metal scrapers though. It’s cool process and makes a wonderful supple fabric when done that stays soft even after getting wet.

@Biketunerfy

3 ай бұрын

@@sidilicious11 I’ve never found a product that can beat brain tanning and keep the leather in the best condition possible.

@jamesmoran7511

3 ай бұрын

You claim you know exactly what it is. That only proves your ignorance and arrogance. You do not know and furthermore you will never know. You should accept that we don't know what the ego says we do. I accept it could be used in accordance with your claim. However, that does not constitute knowledge of the original use.

It's a damn good thing you didn't go to prison in the days of busting rock all day. Prison riots would have been a blood bath. Beautiful work. A true artist in a nearly forgotten craft.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Hahaha. Thats funny. I appreciate your sentiment. Thanks so very much.

@davidarnold9117

4 ай бұрын

I wonder if it was for caping and fleshing hides...

@debbiefox6846

3 ай бұрын

@@davidarnold9117 That's exactly what I was thinking. It would work well imho.

@gforcebreakin

3 ай бұрын

My heart dropped at 15:05, close call. 😂😅

Donny's understanding of the stone and his mastery of tools and techniques is awesome. What a gifted artist. To think ancient people possed similar talents is impressive.

I learned using old bottle bottoms that start out as disk, which is a good preform to get to something else, but still useful as a work in progress.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

That's a great idea!

Great video, tool, flinting, and History. Thanks for sharing.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

My absolute pleasure. Thanks for watching.

My hunch is that it was for skinning. When you skin you kind of do a crescent draw. The circular curve allowed the user to turn the blade as it dulled rather than having to stop and re-flake.

@joshuanorthey2026

3 ай бұрын

Yeah I was thinking circular just for more edge life.

@lindboknifeandtool

3 ай бұрын

Eh, when creating a usable knife takes a single strike and can yield up to 360 degrees of edge. Did stone skimming knives even dull?

@rooknado

3 ай бұрын

@@lindboknifeandtoolYes. Why wouldn’t they dull, lol

@sean900fps

3 ай бұрын

i thought it was for cutting meat specifically disarticulating limbs from your game .. tendons are tough and big elk are a lot of meat to cut .your idea of a stay sharp edge is spot on .🥃

Frisbee of death? Your the best Donny, thank you.

@timothylongmore7325

4 ай бұрын

You know , that's not a crazy idea. Imagine that loaded in a clay pidgeon thrower? I wouldn't want to come up on a guy weilding that!

@robslaughter2657

4 ай бұрын

My thoughts as well, throwing disc perhaps.

@gregstephens2339

4 ай бұрын

Mym thoughts exactly, maybe in an atlatal?

@timothylongmore7325

4 ай бұрын

@@gregstephens2339 that's basicaly What a hand held clay pidgeon thrower is, an atlatal.

@oldmech619

4 ай бұрын

Humans are great throwers.

It would definitely do damage as a weapon, but i think its more than likely a scraper and used for skinning. I can't help but imagine skipping it across a pond at a flock of ducks though, which is very unlikely😂

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

I agree with you. Very line a multi-tool like thing!

The originals were for hunting flocks of birds resting on lakes /waters. Humans realized that they could skip stones first and that a big disks could be thrown Sideways right add a flock of birds and even if it was short of their target it would then skip across the water and take out a few of them. If multiple hunters threw their discs at the same time they would probably get a few birds before a big flock flew away. Then they could just swim or boat out and pick up the dead and injured birds. (Killing two birds with one stone at least. And back then it wasn't always possible to find a bunch of edible game all-in-one place without it being hidden and hard to get in forest or trees.) That's why there are so many of the discs that are still intact. The disks would sink to the bottom of the water and it not be damaged or chips from hitting the light bone birds. The round discs flew straighter, skip across the water straighter and were not complicated to make like some arrowheads are. And all the time making an arrowhead with its multiple fletching feathers would get you only 1 bird, if you were even able to hit it. A skipping sharp-ish could kill or injure multiple birds with one strong fast throw. if someone could please pass my theory on to historians studying these disks or test it out in practice in real life, history would appreciate that.

@John-M.

4 ай бұрын

What is with people and devices of mass bird destruction. That was a theory with the crescent knife as well. A rabbit stick would work perfectly for taking out smaller game such as birds. I doubt they would use such a valuable resource & take so much time when a shaped branch would work just as well. I don’t think we will ever 100%. But I do think they were some sort of handheld knife.

@dandaman2753

4 ай бұрын

@@John-M. I could be wrong but I think birds will generally stay out of stick throwing range, once they know they are a target. Outside of city park lakes, where the ducks are being fed by humans, I think you would find it pretty hard to throw a stick and actually hit any ducks. Heavier disc-like stones would be able to be thrown, faster and then have the benefit of skipping along the water. But my first statement was just a theory.

@John-M.

4 ай бұрын

@@dandaman2753 All you have to do is look at the wikipedia description of a boomerang. The Egyptians & aborigines in Australia’s have both used non returning boomerangs in hunting birds. King tut was buried with ornate boomerangs. But you can choose ignorance if you so please.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

I think that is a really interesting theory. I appreciate it. However, I would say the time and effort to make a disc, compared to just picking up a flat stone and tossing it would be counterproductive. We’ve all skipped stones before and you don’t have to look long before you have several in the hand. To make a disc, toss it and loose it because you missed…well, the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. A throwing stick was a likely option…they float and had a higher retrieval rate in the target was missed.

@bogtrottername7001

4 ай бұрын

@@John-M. We will probably never know for sure, so there is no point in insulting another person's suggestion. ( You A - Hole )

I get an artsy vibe from it, like a testament of skill, kind of like welders sticking soda cans together, not for any purpose, but just because they could. I get the sense that if it was a tool, it would be more efficient to leave one side blunt, but i honestly have no clue, im just guessing.

Ok after giving it some thought here’s my hypothesis: it was a competition craftsman would take turns running flakes trying to keep it a circle and who ever broke it lost….

there is also the possibility that these discs were a sort of trade blank. by that i mean its a roughed out stone with no pre-determined final tool. this way the knapper could trade those preforms for other goods from other people. a way to determine that would be if the edges were sharpened or dull. and if they are dull, were they dulled through use, or dulled on purpose for the sake of transport without cutting oneself. i like to say we need to remember that our ancestors had the same logical brains we do today; meaning they made purposeful decisions with the future in mind not just on the spot instinctive ones.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely. I think a trade blank is a logical idea. An adaptive currency…immediate tool, future tool or possible something else. All great ideas. Thanks for sharing.

That would make an excellent sling stone, especially if you used a modified "atlatl" like throwing curve. Most likely used in an ulu fashion, but your questioning of it's possible use immediately had me thinking "projectile"

@perry92964

3 ай бұрын

same

@dubcOG610

3 ай бұрын

You need a lot of projectiles for hunting or warfare, making these would be tedious for battle. Its definitely some kind of knife though

@perry92964

3 ай бұрын

@@dubcOG610i dont know, he made one in a few minutes

@debbiefox6846

3 ай бұрын

​@@perry92964the video was obviously cut for time.

@perry92964

3 ай бұрын

@@debbiefox6846there are lots of videos on flint napping and many are all less then an hour and not cut. also if they missed the shot they can recover it

Thanks for the wonderful video, and a huge thanks for not ruining it with crappy background music.

Donny, I have a question about the disk use. Is there any evidence that it was like the Eskimo ulu knife ? That the stone blade fit in a loosely wooden handle to act like a scraper for the marrow channel of large bones . Something like a modern steel scraper is used to deepen and widen a barrel channel. Something like a tool for bowl interior scraping ?

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

That’s how I’m leaning…hand blade that could be backed with a handle of sorts…similar to an ulu. I see it in my mind being used like that primarily. Second as a hafted axe like chopper. Your assessment is spot on in my opinion. 🤙

@timothylongmore7325

4 ай бұрын

I was thinking ulu also. Maybe used along with a leather pad. Just spin it a bit as it dulled.

Thank you for a very informative and interesting video six stars brother

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it🤙

I bet it’s a great scraper and a all round great tool

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

No doubt…multi-tool for sure!

Hey man, you did an incedible job replicating that artifact. I have one of those African neolithic disks, it is dark green with crazy patina! I picked it up at the Tucson Gem and Mineral show. If you have a mail box I would love to send it to you as a study piece. Keep up the experimental archeology, beyond facinating. I would live to see hoe the disk knife performs.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

That’s cool. Some of the discs go for a pretty penny. Appreciate the offer of mailing it. I would hate to have it break or get damaged. Pictures…I would happily take!!

@jesseparra570

4 ай бұрын

@@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks where can I send you photos of it?

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

@@jesseparra570 Donny.dust1@gmail.com. Thanks

@jesseparra570

4 ай бұрын

@@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks I sent an email to you with the photos.

@huffthomas1

4 ай бұрын

​@@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks I hope you post the pics for us!

Yup Donny you have a lot of stone. A round, flat, and durable tool has to be one of the most skilled tools to make ! ? Thanks Donny !

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely. Appreciate you watching…I do have some stone hahaha

Thank you for your insight on these artifacts. I've found several of them through the years here in southeast Missouri. It was really cool getting to watch you make one.

Maybe it's a stone age "pizza cutter". Not for pizza, of course, but a blade meant to be rolled. They couldn't make ball bearings at the time and sticks wouldn't roll right without some undesirable wobbling, so they held the center with their fingers and rolled the blade around. But probably it's just a regular knife. If it wasn't cutting right, they would rotate a bit a get a good edge. As for handling, I don't think it would cut their hand, but they could also hold it with a piece of hide on their hand, for protection.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

I think that’s a fair assessment…pressure, rotation and a sharp edge could cut. Maybe something on long fibrous plants. Very interesting…good idea!

@trindal359

3 ай бұрын

Im wondering if it may be for working leather. It seems silly to have a sharp edge like that to hold on to, so I'm leaning toward a split stick handle, with the disk lashed in place. The modern leather worker has a short curved blade for cutting curves in the leather, perhaps it was used for that, then rotated when it got dull and clamped again in a handle.

Ancient disc golf distance driver!

@memecki

4 ай бұрын

What do you reckon the flight numbers would be?

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Hahaha. No doubt!

@PhilipPedro2112

3 ай бұрын

@@memecki 5 / 2 / +1 / 5

I think it was an ulu type knife. You protect your hand in use with a piece of thick hide, and if the working edge dulls you simply shift it around to a fresh edge, until eventually you have to retouch the edge and start over again. Nice tool.

I wish I didn't live in such an urbanized area, I really want to practice the bushcraft you share on this channel

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Take the time now to read and study. When the time approaches to head into the bush…you have already done the leg work. Appreciate you watching!

@rubenskiii

4 ай бұрын

There is a lot u can do in urban areas too, the biggest part(in my experience) is to just ignore the weird looks and be prepared to have people come up to u out of curiosity. I've had great conversations.

Maybe it was a prototype of a disc mace?

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely. Something’s are unknown. I’m still in the butcher department as far as use.

Quite common in European Neolithic and Solutrean cultures, called "discoidal knife". I used it myself and I've found it very practical in skinning operations, particularly easy and quick to resharpen by direct percussion...no fear of undesired fractures no handle needed. It would be my first choice in place of a dagger design.

How much food do you typically take with you for a few days? And what food do you like to take in case you don't catch or hunt anything?

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Case by case and environment to environment. Always salt, flour sometimes and maybe a couple bits of dried meat.

This has to be the best channel on youtube

Outstanding!!!! Thank you.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

You're very welcome!

I found one in Minnesota back in the 70s but it was taken from me by some people who claimed it was of historical importance....it looked just like this one but might have been a bit darker. We believed it was a gutting tool and for fish as well as small animals.

@kentneumann5209

3 ай бұрын

You got robbed.

If you took stout a piece of hard wood and carved a slot for it to fit loose then you could use it as a rolling cutting tool similar to a pizza slicer for cutting raw hide for clothing without tearing the leather.

Honestly I could see it being used as a flung weapon for hunting small game (birds, ground rodents, lizards, snakes and so on.) As the circular bi faced continuous shape and relatively small size would lend itself well to being pinched between the thumb and fore finger and flung with relatively high accuracy. The sharp edges all around it perfectly designed for providing sharp impact trauma to the spine or neck of your target.

@KathrynsWorldWildfireTracking

4 ай бұрын

What about launched from a sling? :)

@canadiangemstones7636

3 ай бұрын

Try making one, and then see if you’d be willing to throw it at an animal, knowing the odds of losing or breaking it are 99%.

I don't comment often sir.. but this video you've truly earned the respect of all who see and understand it..!!!

I tend towards it belongs mounted in some kind of handle because it’s sharp all around. Holding it in your hand, there is really not any way to do it safely . All the tools I’ve ever found had a particular way they fit comfortably in your hand having a working edge opposite from your hand. That’s really interesting. Thanks for sharing this.

Donny, thanks for this video. I am from Ohio, and we also have this artifact made form slate and flint form the Late Woodland culture. I have found many of them at about 5 inches in diameter.

Honestly man, seeing you almost drop it was one of my favorite parts of this video, just little whoops moments or minor issues from someone who is obviously good at their craft makes me, a total novice, feel like i can actually do this.

As a Skin or hide scraping tool, it would lend itself to not scraping through the hide, no sharp points. It could be kept semi sharp and still get the job done right also.

If you consider "bushmeat" , in an ancient context, small antelope that skin fairly easy, it strikes as a Paleo pocket knife really. Love your vids man, thank you

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely. I couldn’t agree more.

@barbaramccoy6448

3 ай бұрын

Might be a bit rough on your pocket as a pocket knife but if your clothes are made of leather......

Amazing 😮.... Thanks for sharing it with us 👍👍👍

Enlightening and impressive as always. (But dammit, I keep thinking of it as a Neolithic ninja star!)

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Haha. Lots go with the ninja star…sounds cooler.

Amazing vid. I love you're content. Keep up the fantastic work, it's very fun to learn about all of this

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for watching and sharing.

As a butcher myself, I can say that I definitely agree with your theory for this tools purpose. I've never made a stone tool before, but I think I might try to. Now that I know how. Great video

I'm thinking for skinning... use a piece of leather to hold one edge as you use it, you ca rotate it as it dulls or you could use a grooved piece of wood to retain one edge in the same manner and rotate as needed.

I flint knapped many years ago and though I enjoyed what I could make, I now remember why I quit doing it. Thanks for reminding me. Skal

I have found that some stone tools need step fractures. They act as a way to better grip the stone so it doesn't slip when using it for wet work. You are seriously good at what you do. Thanks for the knowledge.

Great job sharing your knowledge

I believe this is simply a scraper for large Hides. I use one, made for me by Mr. Supsook of Chignik Lagoon, 25 years ago.

I'm extremely impressed by how facile you are at knapping. Thank you so much for sharing you skill and insights into the techniques and challenges of creating such an object.

You Sir are a true master craftsman! I love your work brother

Brilliant! Thank you!

I wounder if that would have been used for fleshing a hide? Good vid , that part of per-history is very fascinating.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely it could be used in hide work.

I don’t know why but I want it to be a projectile for a sling. With a thin elongated oval pouch, I bet they would rip. Seems like a lot of effort when you can use a stone though.

As interpretation artist( the only way people understand what I do) I understand your view on art vs function or esthetic vs durability. I have a southwest native American background being raised in the Navajo, Zuni and hopi jewelry business and knowing many chiefs and medicine men, as well as being taught a lot from those elders. I learned early on that the only difference between useful tools and beautiful tools was how to hide your mistakes. As I close in on 60 (2.5 more years) I can do everything I use to do but not in the winter, my artistic body is feeling its age. I am a 3rd generation arizonan so it's not like winters are tought here. But 15 years of native style war shirts and doing it all by hand like he does on this channel, it catches up. It is also harder on the female form than the males. I see that from my 2 grown sons. I'll live vicariously through Donny for now, after it's over 105° I might do some work. Lol He does a great job on here, that's for sure.

Beautiful work. I think your right about your inclinations!

Thank You Donny... I find your process, your description fascinating to watch. I have liked & subscribed... Tuffy Marginez

Always like your videos!

Fascinating video - thanks a lot!

Amazing skill! So great to watch!

😮 wow donny. That is alot of great stone. I only have Grey chert here and rhyolite here in Newfoundland Canada. Georgetown is a great some to work on too. I love the colors it has

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Absolutely. Stone is out there. Set a road trip in the future and start collecting. It’s the only way to do it. Appreciate you watching

You are good at that. I’m grateful to have received your knowledge. Very good job, I feel like a pro already!

Thanks for your amazing videos Donny the quality gets better in every one of them its crazy ! I was thinking maybe they were playing frisbee with it or throwing them like shuriken 🤔 Also I think you have really nice hand tats did you make them the ötzi way ? Have a nice day man really appreciate your work

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Glad you like them! It could be for sure a throwing tool…targeting small game or the legs of hooved animals. All is plausible.

Impressive work. Thanks for the video.

I'm not a specialist but a maker, and I could see it like a multi tool that you can easily carry when you're moving, or hunting. You could cut, scrape... And when it gets dull, just turn it and you get a fresh edge! Probably would require a piece of leather to avoid cutting yourself when using it.

Only human being I've ever witnessed wearing a beanie in this manner. Much respect. Very original.

Plateau thing could be similar to The Australia's traditional boomerang thing.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Very interesting…it’s a cool idea you have there!

Maybe a throwing disk? Or go with the term we use most for odd pieces - scraper.

Great job!👍 Very impressive. You made that look easy

Wow, you are certainly an experienced knapper and very talented. You know your rock! You made quick work of that rock, into a disc. Very impressive. An asset to any ancient tribe or this modern one for that matter.

I’m so fascinated by ancient human and pre-human hominin lithic culture. This is just too cool to me!

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Awesome. Appreciate you watching!

How utterly fascinating!

I've never actually seen someone make a stone tool before; you make it look easy!

Beautiful work.

Amazing Work .

Could it be possible that the stone initially was only flaked for sharpness on one portion ? Then as each portion becomes dull the next would be flaked to regain a sharp edge. As this continued you'd end up with a circular tool. The shape is because of the least amount of effort?

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

That’s a good idea and makes sense. Its shape evolves overtime and through use. Good idea.

Wow! The skill and experience, and even TALENT retirements needed for that must be great!

Looks like a good tool for skinning. It's all blade, no wasted end. Also a great fleshing tool for hide processing. I'm surprised they aren't found more commonly.

love your work man, what an interesting tool

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoy it!

Great video, thanks 👍

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Appreciate it greatly!

Dude just found your channel. I want you on my side when the zombie apocalypse comes. Great work

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

That would be cool! Welcome to the team!

Great job nice work

The circular form could easily be rotated to a fresh edge as it gets dulled

Can't help but imagine these things fitting into a wooden thrower and flying at you at 60 mph. Not likely but imagine getting hit by that...

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

That would be cool to see something like that.

oddly enough, i found something simular on my last point hunt. i was told it was a turtle back scraper. i am no pro, so just going on other peoples word. all be it, the artifact i found was not nearly this worked. possibly a pre form, but there was micro flaking all around. one side was still rough. look to me like mine was a large flake utilized as a tool. will never know. beautiful piece you made, very talented person. thanks for the lesson.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Sounds like a pretty cool find. It sounds like it has some scrapper qualities to it and was likely used to do just that. Appreciate you watching and following the adventures.

great video donny

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it

I recon its a hunting tool, like how a discus or a boomerang can be used for hunting.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

I think it could be used in that aspect. For sure…no doubt!

@_pitz03_77

4 ай бұрын

Maybe they threw it like a skipping stone to hunt small game

Hey Donny, another interesting video. It amazed me how you were able to thin down the thickness of the tool's center. Is that considered a more difficult skill on the hierarchy of napping skills? Reducing the thickness of the rock's center? Thank you for making these videos. So interesting!

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Appreciate you watching. It’s difficult at times on circular pieces using traditional tools. It takes some time, but can be done. In all honesty I’ve been making circular tools for some time. My pleasure and thanks again for watching!

Not every object needs a strictly utilitarian purpose. Since we're all guessing, I'd say those discs would be the product of long knapping practice and served as a proof of skill. Producing a beautifully symmetrical disc like that might have been a final exam for a knapping student.

So envious of the skill of a flint knapper.

My guesses (I’m not an expert I just like watching rock banging vids like some Neanderthal iPad kid): -Scraper -Money -Core that was reduced -Blank planchette to be turned into another tool later -Multi-purpose tool

We think of men knapping stone but a circle is a typical shape women use in design.

Gde Donny, vc é o cara... Vimos o qto difícil foi chegar no disco esculpido... Parabéns. Continue assim... Selva!!!

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Thanks so very much. Appreciate you watching and following the adventures!

Thank you SO much for this! I’m so tired or searching for history topics and getting some schmuck trying to tell me the pyramids are 20,000 years old. This is fantastic. I live in Berkley, MA across the river from the Sweets Knoll site and have found artifacts dating back 10-12,000 years! I did bring them to experts to explain what I had bc I had no idea lol

We often overlook "someone just messing around" as an explanation for things. It may have had a purpose, but when I made mine, it was just to see if I could do it. Who knows.

My best guess is it's a stone age form of Ulu. Which is a half moonish type blade Inuit use for quick butchering and chopping with a rocking motion. Iron and copper versions have tangs but a small stone tang won't really work for a stone tool, so many stone age Ulus have a very robust "tang" of stone. Some quite finely worked and some drilled for mounting but in my mind a simple disk with one half inserted into a handle would be faster, more efficient and if the stone work as well as wood work is done well enough it wouldn't even require much glue for a secure fit. The benefit of such a blade is that you draw and rotate simultaneously for quick cutting and you can use the rocking motion for chopping things into fine bits. In a pinch you can also use a longer handle and make the axe type weapon as explained in the video.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

I think an ulu is an accurate assessment. No doubt a hand held cutting tool. I’ve made several stone ulu over the years. Cutting too 100%!

@DrachenGothik666

3 ай бұрын

@@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks I own a modern Ulu that I use for partially-frozen meat. Works like a charm. It's one of my favourite knives.

I found one about 10 years ago in a tobacco field in Eastern Kentucky. Made from some white chert. Its glossy so it could have been heat treated about 3to5 inch disc. 3to5 mm thick

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

Very cool! These are found in the states at times. Its pretty amazing that one idea from one continent can be shared through necessity and creativity on another b

I wonder how many of these interesting artifacts are nothing more than an ancient human just trying to make something "cool"? Or as a test of skill. Or even just a bet with a friend? "I bet I can make a better circle than you!" And here we are hundreds to thousands of years later trying to decipher the meaning and purpose behind it. It's super fun to think about.

@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks

4 ай бұрын

I think that’s a plausible idea. Anything is possible in the world of now for artifacts from the past. Thanks for watching.

The *original* Rock and Roll.

With a circular blade and some sort of handle/holder you can turn it a bit when the part you're using gets dull.