A lithic use-wear analysis of scrapers from the Tisdale-Dalton collection, San Saba,Texas

Date

2001-05

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

Texas Tech University

Abstract

A use-wear analysis of 268 scrapers using low-and high-power microscopy is the focus of this thesis. The purpose of examination was to determine the use of the scrapers in hopes of deducing some of the probable human activities that occurred prehistorically on the Bamett Springs Ranch in San Saba County, Texas.

The lithic tools are part of a larger, unprovenienced collection of artifacts from the Tisdale-Dalton Collection (see Appendix B) that was housed near Dalton's original farmhouse in a building set aside as a museum on the Bamett Springs Ranch (Figure 1.1). The artifacts in this study were gathered over a period of years from a plowed area known as the garden (Figure 1.2), part of 41SS106, according to C. E. Tisdale (personal communication 1996). However, it is possible that some came from other areas of the ranch and even elsewhere, as no written records of provenience were kept for any of the artifacts.

The 268 scrapers are diversified in size and shape; Figure 1.3 illustrates some of these differences. Scrapers are typically unifacially chipped stone tools with a morphology suggesting a specific function. Researchers over the years developed many classification methods for scrapers based upon shape or morphology, edges utilized, and use-wear attributes. The classification used for this thesis consists often basic groups, based on edge modification, as explained in Chapter V. The process derived for my examination and analysis of the 268 scrapers was determined after a survey of the literature on various aspects of the subject, as presented in Chapter II.

Description

Keywords

Indians of North America, Stone implements

Citation