Here is a good fluting billet. I am not sure if it is white tail or mulie.
Found it as a shed in ND.
It works just fine for free hand flutes.
Clovis points nipples weren't in a concavity to start.
They were prominent with a square base especially in western types.
A slight concavity is developed preping for a second nipple.
Most of the concavity is done by pressure, cleaning up the haft
area when the fluting is done and the base is very thin.
Zuma
Thanks for posting that, Zuma. That is an excellent example of a modern flintknapping "baton", as devised during the 1930's, in England.
Also, prior to that, there was some academic speculation, in Europe, that the "baton de commandement" could have been used to flake chert. That probably would have been around 1900, about 30 years before the first baton flaking experiments were carried out, at Pitts River Museum, by Professor Alfred S. Barnes. As far as I know, none of the "baton de commandements" have ever been shown to show signs of use wear, consistent with the flaking of flint. But, don't quote me on that. I could be wrong. If anyone can show a "baton de commandement", showing some sort of flintknapping use wear, then please post it.
In order to demonstrate that an item such as a flaker is a culturally predictable trait, one must document the entire lifespan of the said flaker, as known from archaeological contexts. For example, from archaeological contexts, one would need to show the fabrication of the flakers, use of the flakers, refurbishment of the flakers, wear of the flakers, and the eventual discarding of the flakers, once they have been fully expended. Then, with this information, it becomes possible to show cultural predictability, which makes for a good case that the alleged tool was used for a specific purpose, and in a particular culture.
So, in the case of a flaker like the one you are showing, it is a rather simple matter. From archaeological contexts, one must show how ancient people fabricated the billet, used the billet, refurbished the billet, and eventually discarded the billet. Once all of this has been established, then you will be able to predict where billets should be found - such as in the graves of deceased flintknappers. If you can peg all of this to a single culture, then you can start looking to find all of this in a second culture, and a third culture, and so on.
Also, since there is significant evidence that Native American knappers used similar billet-like tools, but in different flaking processes, one must be able to fully differentiate such a tool, from the modern "antler billet', as was invented in England, during the 1930's. In other words, one would need full criteria on the "pitching tools" known to Native American cultures, far and wide, in order to ascertain that a billet-like tool was not actually a pitching tool. And, this requires more advanced knowledge.
Anyway, if anyone thinks that he can demonstrate the full lifestyle of "antler billets" in prehistoric contexts, then please post the information, and tie it to a culture. Show how the antler flintknapping baton is a culturally predictable trait.
