Clovis Lithic Technology: Investigation of a Stratified Workshop at the Gault Site, Texas

6. Clovis Endscraper and Edge-modified Tool Assemblages

123 CHAPTER 6 Besides the manufacture of new tools, other limited activities took place at Excavation Area 8. The evidence of such activities comes from the recovery of 10 endscrapers, six blades, and 23 flakes that were retouched intentionally to shape edges. Many of these modified blades and flakes show evidence of usewear (chapter 7). The 10 discarded endscrapers are worn out and at the end of their use life. The 29 edge-modified blades and flakes required little time to make and were used expediently before they were discarded. Additionally, nine unmodified blades and three unmodified flakes were also used as tools. The edges of these 12 tools were not shaped intentionally, but all show microflaking as a result of use and all retain evidence of microscopic usewear. Endscrapers Ten endscrapers were recovered from the combined Clovis components at Excavation Area 8 (figure 62; table 29). They are generally small, morphologically similar, possess a distinct hafting element, have steeply beveled bits, and are at the end of their use life (Wiederhold 2004). All of the endscrapers were manufactured from flakes of Edwards chert, and five are cortical. Eight endscrapers are complete and two are distal fragments. The mean length of complete scrapers is 39.9 mm. In longitudinal cross section, all endscrapers show a slight degree of distal curvature and the characteristic downward curving bit seen on endscrapers throughout the Paleoindian period. The bits of all scrapers are on the distal end of the flake, perpendicular to the long axis of the tool. The bits are convex, characterized by steep regular unifacial retouch, and on average are 31.4 mm wide and 5.4 mm thick. Nine endscrapers are morphologically similar to classic Paleoindian endscrapers (Daniel 1998; Frison and Stanford 1982; Morse 1997; Rule and Evans 1985). In plan view, all nine flakes have expanding lateral margins. Seven of these flakes have intact platforms; one is single faceted and the remainder are multifaceted. All seven platforms are lipped and abraded. Mean platform width is 10.5 mm and mean platform thickness is 3.3 mm. Six of the nine flakes have a diffuse bulb of force. Exterior flake removal patterns are predominately bidirectional, with flake scars initiating from lateral edges, not from the proximal or distal ends. Based on these attributes, we conclude that the endscrapers from Excavation Area 8 were made on biface thinClovis Endscraper and Edge-modified Tool Assemblages 124 CHAPTER 6 ning flakes. This is in contrast to endscrapers made on blades from other areas of the Gault site (Collins 1999b) and the Pavo Real site (Collins 2003). Steep unifacial flakes were removed along the lateral margins of these nine flakes to shape the haft elements. Six hafts have a distinct ridge or arris that extends longitudinally , at least part of the way, from the proximal to the distal end of the flake. This ridge may have served to strengthen the haft element (Morse 1997). Hafts often are notched at one or more places along the lateral edge. Notches likely prevented the binding material from slipping down the tapered haft (Coe 1964). Eight of these nine endscrapers have one or more small lateral projections, or “spurs,” on one or both sides of the bit. When the exterior face of the scraper is observed in plan view, the spurs appear as lateral extensions of the bit, projecting past the hafting element of the tool. These spurs are sometimes referred to as “graver spurs” (Daniel 1998; Goodyear 1995; Jackson 1998; MacDonald 1985) or “graver tips” FIGURE 62. Endscrapers: (a) AM311, (b) AM417, and (c) AM319 have pronounced spurs on either side of the bit and haft notches below at least one spur. The spurs on AM248-A (d) are broken. (e) AM192-B has an asymmetrical bit. (f) AM301-N3 is modified on both margins of the haft element, with a large notch on the right margin. (g) AM227 has two notches on the right margin. (h) AM188 has a fracture that removed the left side of the bit and a portion of the left lateral margin. (i) AM364 is a small endscraper with modification on the right lateral edge. (j) AM299 is an atypical endscraper. Note the multiple, stacked arrays of step fractures on endscraper bits and the distal curvature. Artifacts are oriented with the proximal end of the flake downward. TABLE 29. Endscraper Attributes TAMU Number Cortex Platform Width (mm) Platform Thickness (mm...