Abstract

Cobble choppers, seemingly ubiquitous stone tools found in archaeological sites all over the northwest coast of North America, were examined using a technological perspective combining attribute analysis with gross use-wear analysis. This analysis of material from the Crescent Beach site led to the development of two hypothetical models: 1) a manufacture/use/maintenance system and 2) a curation model. Both of these models suggest that cobble choppers have a long and complex use-life possibly involving shifts in form and function through a predetermined sequence. This paper outlines the two models and discusses some of their implications.