The Daily Bulletin

Please join the Buffalo State Anthropology Department for the talk "Learning from Worn and Broken Stone Tools," presented by William Engelbrecht, professor emeritus of anthropology, on Wednesday, November 16, at 7:00 p.m. in the Cummings Room of the Buffalo Museum of Science. The event is free and open to the public. Please email Susan Maguire, associate professor of anthropology, for more information. Sponsored by the Houghton Chapter of the New York State Archaeological Association.

Abstract
Whole stone tools are valued over broken ones by both collectors and professional archaeologists, whether it be for purposes of display, illustration, or research. This stems from an approach in archaeology that views artifacts as emblematic of function or cultural identity. It also reflects modern life that views broken objects as worthless. It is not necessarily how native peoples viewed or used whole, worn, or broken stone tools. A comparison of whole and broken arrow points, scrapers, and drills from an Iroquoian village reveals details that would not be known if only whole specimens were studied.