John Murray
@kabweordie.bsky.social
PhD Candidate at ASU. Faculty at GCCAZ.
Stone tools, Middle Stone Age, paleoanthropology, PC gaming, skateboarding.
Will mostly post flintknapping🙃
Stone tools, Middle Stone Age, paleoanthropology, PC gaming, skateboarding.
Will mostly post flintknapping🙃
Excited that our paper is finally out!
We test the suitability of LA-ICP-MS for sourcing South African silcrete and show that it has comparable results to solution ICP-MS.
Importantly, heat treatment did not impact source separation.
50 days free link: shorturl.at/bDMs5 🏺🏺
We test the suitability of LA-ICP-MS for sourcing South African silcrete and show that it has comparable results to solution ICP-MS.
Importantly, heat treatment did not impact source separation.
50 days free link: shorturl.at/bDMs5 🏺🏺
July 30, 2025 at 2:24 AM
Excited that our paper is finally out!
We test the suitability of LA-ICP-MS for sourcing South African silcrete and show that it has comparable results to solution ICP-MS.
Importantly, heat treatment did not impact source separation.
50 days free link: shorturl.at/bDMs5 🏺🏺
We test the suitability of LA-ICP-MS for sourcing South African silcrete and show that it has comparable results to solution ICP-MS.
Importantly, heat treatment did not impact source separation.
50 days free link: shorturl.at/bDMs5 🏺🏺
Heat-treated silcrete Still Bay point (sand bath method) 🏺🏺
Gave me a little trouble with some internal flaws but happy with it overall
Gave me a little trouble with some internal flaws but happy with it overall
May 26, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Heat-treated silcrete Still Bay point (sand bath method) 🏺🏺
Gave me a little trouble with some internal flaws but happy with it overall
Gave me a little trouble with some internal flaws but happy with it overall
Single platform cores on heat-treated silcrete (ember method) 🏺🏺
May 24, 2025 at 4:47 PM
Single platform cores on heat-treated silcrete (ember method) 🏺🏺
My students did great refitting this core I knapped yesterday! 🏺🏺
February 28, 2025 at 10:54 PM
My students did great refitting this core I knapped yesterday! 🏺🏺
Practiced some Levallois while volunteering for ASU’s open door event 🏺 #flintknapping
February 23, 2025 at 12:13 AM
Practiced some Levallois while volunteering for ASU’s open door event 🏺 #flintknapping
Obsidian preform with an incipient cone in the middle of it. 🏺🏺
February 15, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Obsidian preform with an incipient cone in the middle of it. 🏺🏺
Heat-treated silcrete 🏺🏺
January 30, 2025 at 5:23 PM
Heat-treated silcrete 🏺🏺
Final demo handaxes before I swap shifts with Nic! 🏺🏺
If you’re in the area, Nic will be here until 5!
If you’re in the area, Nic will be here until 5!
January 25, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Final demo handaxes before I swap shifts with Nic! 🏺🏺
If you’re in the area, Nic will be here until 5!
If you’re in the area, Nic will be here until 5!
First demo piece finished 😃
January 25, 2025 at 6:25 PM
First demo piece finished 😃
Knapping demo for the opening of a new exhibit at the AZMNH in Mesa called THRIVE: The First People Yesterday, Today, and Forever.
Come by! Nic or myself will be here until 5 pm. 🏺🏺
Come by! Nic or myself will be here until 5 pm. 🏺🏺
January 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Knapping demo for the opening of a new exhibit at the AZMNH in Mesa called THRIVE: The First People Yesterday, Today, and Forever.
Come by! Nic or myself will be here until 5 pm. 🏺🏺
Come by! Nic or myself will be here until 5 pm. 🏺🏺
Heat-treated silcrete blade core (hard hammer percussion) #archaeology #flintknapping #anthropology🏺
December 18, 2024 at 10:00 PM
Heat-treated silcrete blade core (hard hammer percussion) #archaeology #flintknapping #anthropology🏺
Unheated South African silcrete 🏺🏺#archaeology
December 6, 2024 at 4:59 PM
Unheated South African silcrete 🏺🏺#archaeology
Point from tonight’s experimental archaeology club meeting
December 5, 2024 at 2:22 AM
Point from tonight’s experimental archaeology club meeting
Mahogany obsidian handaxe 🏺 #archaeology #flintknapping
December 4, 2024 at 7:57 PM
Mahogany obsidian handaxe 🏺 #archaeology #flintknapping
Silver sheen obsidian handaxe 🏺
I went back to this one after a year or so to do the final round of flaking.
I went back to this one after a year or so to do the final round of flaking.
December 4, 2024 at 12:04 AM
Silver sheen obsidian handaxe 🏺
I went back to this one after a year or so to do the final round of flaking.
I went back to this one after a year or so to do the final round of flaking.
The final thing to know about me is that I love to flintknap! I often do demos for outreach at museums or in classrooms from K-12 to university. It is also a core aspect of my research.
Here is probably one of my favorite pieces that I’ve made. 5/5
Here is probably one of my favorite pieces that I’ve made. 5/5
November 25, 2024 at 9:47 PM
The final thing to know about me is that I love to flintknap! I often do demos for outreach at museums or in classrooms from K-12 to university. It is also a core aspect of my research.
Here is probably one of my favorite pieces that I’ve made. 5/5
Here is probably one of my favorite pieces that I’ve made. 5/5
with an associated high-resolution paleoclimatic and dating record which allows me to look at temporal changes over a significant amount of time. Lastly, I will be comparing these results to a part of the Boomplaas Cave sequence.
Here’s a heat-treated silcrete backed piece from Pinnacle Point 4/5
Here’s a heat-treated silcrete backed piece from Pinnacle Point 4/5
November 25, 2024 at 9:47 PM
with an associated high-resolution paleoclimatic and dating record which allows me to look at temporal changes over a significant amount of time. Lastly, I will be comparing these results to a part of the Boomplaas Cave sequence.
Here’s a heat-treated silcrete backed piece from Pinnacle Point 4/5
Here’s a heat-treated silcrete backed piece from Pinnacle Point 4/5
The methods built from the experimental dataset will then be applied to the silcrete artifacts from the MSA coastal archaeological complex called Pinnacle Point, a recently declared UNESCO World Heritage site.
Pinnacle Point preserves evidence of human occupation for nearly 100,000 years… 3/5
Pinnacle Point preserves evidence of human occupation for nearly 100,000 years… 3/5
November 25, 2024 at 9:47 PM
The methods built from the experimental dataset will then be applied to the silcrete artifacts from the MSA coastal archaeological complex called Pinnacle Point, a recently declared UNESCO World Heritage site.
Pinnacle Point preserves evidence of human occupation for nearly 100,000 years… 3/5
Pinnacle Point preserves evidence of human occupation for nearly 100,000 years… 3/5
My diss. research investigates the question: how did Middle Stone Age (MSA) people heat-treat silcrete in South Africa over ~100,000 years?
To address this, I am developing methods to distinguish 3 heat treatment strategies that vary in their complexity through experimental archaeology. 2/5
To address this, I am developing methods to distinguish 3 heat treatment strategies that vary in their complexity through experimental archaeology. 2/5
November 25, 2024 at 9:47 PM
My diss. research investigates the question: how did Middle Stone Age (MSA) people heat-treat silcrete in South Africa over ~100,000 years?
To address this, I am developing methods to distinguish 3 heat treatment strategies that vary in their complexity through experimental archaeology. 2/5
To address this, I am developing methods to distinguish 3 heat treatment strategies that vary in their complexity through experimental archaeology. 2/5
Hey everyone! I figured I should do a quick introductory post. I am a PhD candidate in archaeology 🏺 at Arizona State University and a OYO faculty member at Glendale Community College in biological anthropology.
I am broadly interested in lithic technology and early Homo sapiens archaeology 1/5
I am broadly interested in lithic technology and early Homo sapiens archaeology 1/5
November 25, 2024 at 9:47 PM
Hey everyone! I figured I should do a quick introductory post. I am a PhD candidate in archaeology 🏺 at Arizona State University and a OYO faculty member at Glendale Community College in biological anthropology.
I am broadly interested in lithic technology and early Homo sapiens archaeology 1/5
I am broadly interested in lithic technology and early Homo sapiens archaeology 1/5
Keokuk chert handaxe 🏺
November 18, 2024 at 8:35 PM
Keokuk chert handaxe 🏺
Friday knapping session
November 15, 2024 at 10:41 PM
Friday knapping session
Heat-treated Keokuk chert
November 12, 2024 at 4:52 PM
Heat-treated Keokuk chert
