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
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 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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 .🥃
This channel is the bees knees! Found Donny Dust a year ago and I’m hooked. As a professional Chef, I think the advantage of a tool like this is all one must do is spin the blade for a fresh edge. I say this about modern steel; Animal tissue (muscle, tendon, skin, etc..) and cardboard will dull your knife faster than anything else. Someday I hope to make stone tools as well as Donny. Please keep providing this amazing content!!!!
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 ?
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. 🤙
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"
@@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
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
I'm curious if you could see any obvious polishing from usage or re sharpening on some of the original artifacts. And I didn't know if anyone has done some microscopic analysis for paint or blood that would kind of point us in right direction for they're purpose. Another idea I had was if it was maybe a ceremonial use or even some type of gaming or gambling artifact? If I had to come up with a answer though I guess would have to say knife like a modified ulu , or scraper but again use marks would definitely show and give us some answers . I'm new to the channel Don and I've gotta say your skill coupled with an obvious interest in research and actual artifact usage really knocks your channel out of the park and compared to other knappers your way better and in my opinion someone I can actually learn from so yeah thanks I'm on board brother.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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….
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
A half century ago I was walking along a gravel road when I picked up a cobble that was round on one side, flat on the other with a tapered edge that was sort of scalloped, I took it to an indigenous friend and asked her if she thought it was a tool, she said she didn't know, but could she have it because it would be perfect for scraping hides. it looked about the same size as the pictured tools but with a single face and the sharp edged only went halfway around.
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.
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.
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 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
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.
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.
@@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.
@@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.
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.
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😂
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.
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.
😮 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
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.
An Atlatl is best in my own eyes. A bow you have to draw the sting in order to shoot and can take time to set the arrow into the string( takes time), an Atlatl can be used more then one way to hunt or defend yourself, can be used as a personal defense spear. Bows have their advantages and so do Atlatl, it's more on preference
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
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 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.
Hello, this is really good content, thank you for your time. Perhaps this was the beginnings of a faster way to cut hide? Like a super sharp pizza cutter, but the center has not been worked into a hole? Could it have been a rolling pin hide cutter, could it have been a muse for the wheel? This is really fun to watch. Enjoy life, I hope you experience much prosperity!
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
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
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!
QUESTION Is it much more difficult / slower / risky to make one of these than of 2 half circle tools of similar size. If so, i think it's main advantage would be portability, a bit like one double headed axe is easier to carry than 2, while still providing enough tool to get the job done without needing to stop, so speed was also very important for whatever reason. A kill attracting other preditors, so get it done and get out of here ??
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Listening to your thoughts and watching you make this and looking at it a get a feeling it could have been something they carried as a multiuse tool and it’s my also be possible that we are only seeing one part of a kit or something like that.
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.
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?
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.
oh my goodness where do you get all that stone from! do you collect most of it, also i would also love to hear your opinion on dover flint from tennessee as i'm thinking of gathering some myself
I hafted one onto a beaver chew stick handle. I wasn’t trying to make a disc,that’s what the rock I was knapping worked out to be lol. Thanks,Another cool video!
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.
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.
I've seen a couple of these circular "knives/scrapers" in the UK, and get the impression that they are not so incredibly rare here. I read somewhere that some seem to have been deliberately blunted. I made one and blunted it on sandstone, and found it to be excellent for separating hide from meat without cutting either. Not saying that's what they were for, necessarily, but for me it's a sufficient explanation.
I am no archeologist, but could this have been a way to show skill in their craft, almost like an apprenticeship project?
I think that’s a logical and realistic idea. Kinda like…make a circle and go from there. Interesting
Similar to a Try Stick for bushcrafting.
I'd like to submit my resume and apply for the tool making position.
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
I thought the same. Seems like a flex
Old time pizza cutter. Lol
If they had pizza, I bet it had wild cat or mammoth on it. And that makes me want it kinda.
Haha. No doubt!
True 😂
That’s the first thing that come to my head too lol
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.
Can it clean skin a beaver?
@@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,
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.
@@sidilicious11 I’ve never found a product that can beat brain tanning and keep the leather in the best condition possible.
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.
Hahaha. Thats funny. I appreciate your sentiment. Thanks so very much.
I wonder if it was for caping and fleshing hides...
@@davidarnold9117 That's exactly what I was thinking. It would work well imho.
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.
Great video, tool, flinting, and History. Thanks for sharing.
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.
Yeah I was thinking circular just for more edge life.
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?
@@lindboknifeandtoolYes. Why wouldn’t they dull, lol
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 .🥃
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.
That's a great idea!
This channel is the bees knees! Found Donny Dust a year ago and I’m hooked. As a professional Chef, I think the advantage of a tool like this is all one must do is spin the blade for a fresh edge. I say this about modern steel; Animal tissue (muscle, tendon, skin, etc..) and cardboard will dull your knife faster than anything else.
Someday I hope to make stone tools as well as Donny. Please keep providing this amazing content!!!!
Frisbee of death? Your the best Donny, thank you.
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!
My thoughts as well, throwing disc perhaps.
Mym thoughts exactly, maybe in an atlatal?
@@gregstephens2339 that's basicaly What a hand held clay pidgeon thrower is, an atlatal.
Humans are great throwers.
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 ?
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. 🤙
I was thinking ulu also. Maybe used along with a leather pad. Just spin it a bit as it dulled.
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"
same
You need a lot of projectiles for hunting or warfare, making these would be tedious for battle. Its definitely some kind of knife though
@@DUBC_OG_610i dont know, he made one in a few minutes
@@perry92964the video was obviously cut for time.
@@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
Thank you for a very informative and interesting video six stars brother
Glad you enjoyed it🤙
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 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.
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.
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!!
@@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks where can I send you photos of it?
@@jesseparra570 Donny.dust1@gmail.com. Thanks
@@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks I sent an email to you with the photos.
@@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 !
Absolutely. Appreciate you watching…I do have some stone hahaha
This has to be the best channel on youtube
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.
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.
I'm curious if you could see any obvious polishing from usage or re sharpening on some of the original artifacts. And I didn't know if anyone has done some microscopic analysis for paint or blood that would kind of point us in right direction for they're purpose. Another idea I had was if it was maybe a ceremonial use or even some type of gaming or gambling artifact? If I had to come up with a answer though I guess would have to say knife like a modified ulu , or scraper but again use marks would definitely show and give us some answers . I'm new to the channel Don and I've gotta say your skill coupled with an obvious interest in research and actual artifact usage really knocks your channel out of the park and compared to other knappers your way better and in my opinion someone I can actually learn from so yeah thanks I'm on board brother.
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.
You got robbed.
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.
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.
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.
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….
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
Absolutely. I couldn’t agree more.
Might be a bit rough on your pocket as a pocket knife but if your clothes are made of leather......
A half century ago I was walking along a gravel road when I picked up a cobble that was round on one side, flat on the other with a tapered edge that was sort of scalloped, I took it to an indigenous friend and asked her if she thought it was a tool, she said she didn't know, but could she have it because it would be perfect for scraping hides. it looked about the same size as the pictured tools but with a single face and the sharp edged only went halfway around.
Outstanding!!!! Thank you.
You're very welcome!
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.
I don't comment often sir.. but this video you've truly earned the respect of all who see and understand it..!!!
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.
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 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 bet it’s a great scraper and a all round great tool
No doubt…multi-tool for sure!
If you throw it at a bird directly overhead it will return to you just like a boomerang 🪃 🎉😢
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?
Case by case and environment to environment. Always salt, flour sometimes and maybe a couple bits of dried meat.
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.
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.
@@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.
@@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.
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.
@@John-M. We will probably never know for sure, so there is no point in insulting another person's suggestion. ( You A - Hole )
The circular form could easily be rotated to a fresh edge as it gets dulled
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😂
I agree with you. Very line a multi-tool like thing!
Gde Donny, vc é o cara... Vimos o qto difícil foi chegar no disco esculpido... Parabéns. Continue assim... Selva!!!
Thanks so very much. Appreciate you watching and following the adventures!
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.
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!
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.
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
😮 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
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
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.
Hey I was wanting to know, what weapon do you think is better for survival, a bow or an atlatl?
An Atlatl is best in my own eyes. A bow you have to draw the sting in order to shoot and can take time to set the arrow into the string( takes time), an Atlatl can be used more then one way to hunt or defend yourself, can be used as a personal defense spear. Bows have their advantages and so do Atlatl, it's more on preference
If you have it on hand…a bow. If you have to make it an Atlatl. Both have there pros and cons.
I've never actually seen someone make a stone tool before; you make it look easy!
You can hear the teacher say to the students make a perfect circle.
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
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
Thank You Donny... I find your process, your description fascinating to watch. I have liked & subscribed... Tuffy Marginez
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.
Enlightening and impressive as always. (But dammit, I keep thinking of it as a Neolithic ninja star!)
Haha. Lots go with the ninja star…sounds cooler.
Only human being I've ever witnessed wearing a beanie in this manner. Much respect. Very original.
Hello, this is really good content, thank you for your time. Perhaps this was the beginnings of a faster way to cut hide? Like a super sharp pizza cutter, but the center has not been worked into a hole? Could it have been a rolling pin hide cutter, could it have been a muse for the wheel? This is really fun to watch. Enjoy life, I hope you experience much prosperity!
Amazing vid. I love you're content. Keep up the fantastic work, it's very fun to learn about all of this
Glad you enjoy it! Thanks for watching and sharing.
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
Amazing 😮.... Thanks for sharing it with us 👍👍👍
Ancient disc golf distance driver!
What do you reckon the flight numbers would be?
Hahaha. No doubt!
@@memecki 5 / 2 / +1 / 5
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 wounder if that would have been used for fleshing a hide? Good vid , that part of per-history is very fascinating.
Absolutely it could be used in hide work.
Could it have possibly been a prototype throwing weapon? Does it feel like a good throwable?
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
Glad you like them! It could be for sure a throwing tool…targeting small game or the legs of hooved animals. All is plausible.
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.
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.
What about launched from a sling? :)
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’m so fascinated by ancient human and pre-human hominin lithic culture. This is just too cool to me!
Awesome. Appreciate you watching!
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!
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!
Great video, thanks 👍
Appreciate it greatly!
would something like that disc fly good if you threw it ? Liked and subbed man
Great job sharing your knowledge
QUESTION Is it much more difficult / slower / risky to make one of these than of 2 half circle tools of similar size. If so, i think it's main advantage would be portability, a bit like one double headed axe is easier to carry than 2, while still providing enough tool to get the job done without needing to stop, so speed was also very important for whatever reason. A kill attracting other preditors, so get it done and get out of here ??
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.
Rotary cutter for leather?
Interesting concept for sure!
Dude just found your channel. I want you on my side when the zombie apocalypse comes. Great work
That would be cool! Welcome to the team!
how do you get so much rock?
Years of collecting and trading stone!
Maybe a throwing disk? Or go with the term we use most for odd pieces - scraper.
great video donny
Glad you enjoyed it
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.
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.
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.
Hide scraper most likely. I found one of similar shape in Milledgeville, Georgia. Love your work!
That's awesome, appreciate the info! 🤙
I recon its a hunting tool, like how a discus or a boomerang can be used for hunting.
I think it could be used in that aspect. For sure…no doubt!
Maybe they threw it like a skipping stone to hunt small game
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.
Beautiful work. I think your right about your inclinations!
Listening to your thoughts and watching you make this and looking at it a get a feeling it could have been something they carried as a multiuse tool and it’s my also be possible that we are only seeing one part of a kit or something like that.
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...
That would be cool to see something like that.
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.
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?
That’s a good idea and makes sense. Its shape evolves overtime and through use. Good idea.
You are good at that. I’m grateful to have received your knowledge. Very good job, I feel like a pro already!
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.
Fascinating video - thanks a lot!
oh my goodness where do you get all that stone from! do you collect most of it, also i would also love to hear your opinion on dover flint from tennessee as i'm thinking of gathering some myself
Yes and yes. Dover flint…not an issue at all. I collect tons of stone.
@@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks thanks a bunch!
Maybe it was a prototype of a disc mace?
Absolutely. Something’s are unknown. I’m still in the butcher department as far as use.
I hafted one onto a beaver chew stick handle. I wasn’t trying to make a disc,that’s what the rock I was knapping worked out to be lol. Thanks,Another cool video!
Very cool. Appreciate you watching!
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.
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%!
@@DonnyDustsPaleoTracks I own a modern Ulu that I use for partially-frozen meat. Works like a charm. It's one of my favourite knives.
Looks like it could be some type of throwing stone. Something for hunting possibly. Who knows all the uses ancient people applied these stones too.
I bet it was used as a projectile. Maybe thrown by hand or by sling. Can you test this?
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.
You Sir are a true master craftsman! I love your work brother
Impressive work. Thanks for the video.
Looks like a throwing disc , you have boomerangs, they had killer freezbies
I've seen a couple of these circular "knives/scrapers" in the UK, and get the impression that they are not so incredibly rare here. I read somewhere that some seem to have been deliberately blunted. I made one and blunted it on sandstone, and found it to be excellent for separating hide from meat without cutting either. Not saying that's what they were for, necessarily, but for me it's a sufficient explanation.
Great job!👍 Very impressive. You made that look easy