Good shelter dig yesterday

[1320]

I had one of my better days in the monster shelter yesterday evening. As usual, I'm not certain of exactly what I've found. The object in the first photo is a drill or awl I guess? I can't tell what it's made from either, perhaps limestone or petrified bone? It has a heavy patina so flint is a possibility as well. I don't want to mess with it too much at this point. When I first saw it in the sifter, it looked like a twig and nearly got tossed!

The second photo is a nice leaf shape blade, I really like it! Is is possible to type one of these?

I included a pic of the broke because the workmanship is awesome, not sure if the photo will show it well. I believe the good one in the same picture is a LeCroy and man it is sharp!

The last photo is some sort of flint disk looking thing. There is some work here and there on it. The sand is crusted real heavy on this piece and it won't come off. It might be just debitage but I've not found anything quite this circular before. The white spot is an inclusion (?) in the flint, it looks like paint!

Any ideas and or comments are highly regarded, many thanks. Shelter is located in Central Kentucky.

[flintdigger]

Those are some nice pieces, The first piece looks like a awl to me. The three inch piece with the pink colored tip is a nice piece it looks like it is made from some good material. those points are nice I agree the broken one has some great flaking. The round piece look's like a scraper to me . Great finds there.

[1320]

OK, I've been pounding websites all morning and these are my best guesses: Agree/Disagree?

Photo 2: Guliford? The blade is made from a quartzite type material, that's really the only reason I'm leaning in that direction.

Photo 3: Broken point - Pine Tree? I must say it looks like a few other types as well.

Photo 3: LeCroy vs nearly exhausted McCorkle? Even though the MacCorkles are supposed to be larger, I can see a MacCorkle turning into a LeCroy.

[ohio]

Man that blade and Lecroy are great finds. That Carter pine tree would have been a real smoker!

Chuck

[Twitch]

1320 - I think you're right on with the pine tree and the lecroy. Did you find the large (and exceptional) leaf blade at the same level? I don't know what it it.

I'd also think that the large slender piece is limestone and there possibly a very unusual geofact or natural but utilized stone. Really good finds. Bifurcates are one that I've never been able to find.

[Th3rty7]

Looks like an Adena blade imo. Have you found any Adena stuff in that shelter? Nice finds.

[Charmin]

Awesome finds, 1320---Love that big pink blade. I agree with Th3rty7--it looks like an Adena blade to me, too.

[tmodel]

1320!! i think your five very nice artifacts are [#1]a geo but that may have been used as a hole reamer, it looks like it would feel like sandpapper. [#2] a mighty pretty pink tiped blade i would like to have, and would call a [lerma 1300-1600 bp]. [#3; i would have to go with pine tree and lecroy. [#4] to me looks like a core that was used as a scrapper. please brokes such as that pine tree post them even if you have to post them as a group. Terry

[1320]

Many thanks for the replies and opinions, each is of great help. I must admit that I didn't even think about comparing the pink blade to known Adena examples simply because every artifact up to this point has been from a much earlier period. I must agree it does have an Adena/Lerma look to it and it was found at a shallower depth. Good call!

The awl looking thing just might be a geofact. I have gotten over the euphoria of having found it and now the temptation to remove the patina is overwhelming. If it is an artifact I think it's of the ground vs chipped variety. I might try to snap some additional pictures in better light and request additional opinions before I proceed with the removal.

I'm thrilled at the possibility that this shelter was used/reused by more than one culture. When I first walked into the shelter to "evaluate" it, it broke several rules....it faces NNE, has no overhang and is almost always wet. To date, it has produced more artifacts than the previous four that I've dug, combined! Even though it was at least partially dug, it's likely that many a digger passed on this shelter because it doesn't fit the appropriate description of a liveable shelter. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that it was the mac daddy shelter several thousand years ago

Erosion.....my best friend. It's making me rethink several shelters that I've passed on for lack of overhang.......