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I'm not well-versed in lithic artifacts. Any opinions on what this was? (It was immediately returned to its resting place).

@skillpore
Unfortunately, I don't have any other pics. It wasn't too thick, less than half an inch in the fattest part. I agree that the gap seems too big for an arrow, so I thought some other kind of tool or ornament. On the other hand, it was in a what appeared to be a defensive outpost associated with a set of much bigger ruins. (It was on the cliff top above them, in one of the few places with clear views to the all the reasonable approaches).

Are you sure it isn't just a natural rock, coincidentally found there? Just being the devil's advocate here.

I think it's Lithic.net is what I've used but it's mind boggling all the points out there. Maybe pm Alston??

Could be an "oops" during tool making.

Nighthiker wrote:Could be an "oops" during tool making.

Or just another ADR which stands for Another Dumb Rock in prospectors terms.... ;)

SuperstitionGuy wrote:

Nighthiker wrote:Could be an "oops" during tool making.

Or just another ADR which stands for Another Dumb Rock in prospectors terms.... ;)

Basically what I said...

azbackpackr wrote:Are you sure it isn't just a natural rock, coincidentally found there? Just being the devil's advocate here.

Even if it were the right kind of rock, it's not properly weathered. Considering the location, whatever it is, it came from elsewhere by means other than gravity.

Nighthiker wrote:Could be an "oops" during tool making.

Perhaps, or it could be a big flake of debris from a successful manufacture.

In the photo it does not look like lithic debris left over from flintknapping. However, if I saw it in person I am sure I could have a different opinion.

Perhaps an arrowhead with the tip broken off?

@PhilMW
That would be exciting, but it seems pretty unlikely. It's not a common arrowhead pattern and the features don't seem proportioned right. The right edge is bad, too, and there aren't clear signs of how it was formed. I can definitely see why azbackpackr is skeptical.

Noticing the matrix at the back notch and along the one side shows it's not knapped. A truly perfect specimen of Leaveright.

arrow shaft or bow drill shaft shaping tool.

Alston Neal wrote:Noticing the matrix at the back notch and along the one side shows it's not knapped. A truly perfect specimen of Leaveright.

Here's another possibility, based in part on how the other ruins were constructed. I think it might have been made to stick into the mortar between the bigger rocks, but fell out as the mortar weathered away and the wall collapsed. Then its shape allowed it to wash a little further downslope (into the ruin from the remains of the uphill wall). It was sitting on a little island of silt on the slick rock.

Alston Neal wrote:Noticing the matrix at the back notch and along the one side shows it's not knapped. A truly perfect specimen of Leaveright.