11/22 Kansas River Finds

[teddyrobo]

I was out walking along the Kaw River on a sandbar yesterday and found a few interesting objects. I'm not entirely sure the use of the first object. It looks like a nice projectile point that has had the tip broken off and split perfectly down the middle from top to bottom. That last part feels unlikely to me for some reason, so maybe what I have is a one sided blade with the tip broken off. I'm not an expert on rock type, but this stone appears to be a gray chert, maybe from the Flint Hills of KS.

The second object appeared to be another one sided blade. However I can't really figure out the rock type, and the stone feels suspiciously smooth. Maybe it was once sharp and had spent thousands of years tumbling along the river, I'm not sure. Now all of a sudden I'm having these thoughts about how it resembles a swimming fish! Any thoughts?

I found the third object right before I was leaving in a few inches of water. I haven't seen anything like this before. After some online research:
[size=11pt]Flaking, Parallel (A.K.A. Collateral Flaking) A secondary flaking technique that is often found on the earliest projectile points and stone tools, usually performed on the blade faces, in which the removal of flakes was performed in such a manner to remove flakes of similar size, depth, length and direction to result in flake scars which are parallel. Typically the mark of a well accomplished flint knapper. Such flake scars are found only on few specimens and can be quite aesthetically beautiful to behold.[/size]

I believe that this technique of flaking is called collateral flaking. Good ID?

[naturegirl]

IMHO...the first two are geofacts, the last one a fossil? hope I'm wrong!!! you gotta good eye! .....(fossil ~ as in a nuatilus type?)

[teddyrobo]

Thanks for the reply! Darn, I was hoping at least one was a blade but I really appreciate the feedback. I've been slightly obsessing about searching for and finding artifacts and projectile points since I was a kid. I didn't really know anybody who could help or have any ideas on how to go about doing any of these things. The internet can be amazing, I finally learned a few simple techniques like walking sandbars after high water and rains and started to give myself a real chance to find something! I feel like I'm picking up a lot of information and learning quite a bit, but I'm still such an amateur haha

I guess I get so excited about these things my imagination can start to run a bit

[ShieldJaguar]

I was thinking some kind of ocean related fossil too. When I lived in Manhattan, KS I found shark teeth on the Kansas river bars. Was thinking that yours could be fossilized ancient fish scales that fell off in the ocean that Kansas used to be.

[The Grim Reaper]

None of them are artifacts. The last one is more than likely a Fossil of some type.

[WhiteCountyPaleo]

I would recommend starting out by looking in farm fields and or going with somebody
that can show you hands on. If you're searching the river find places where you see clay
soil with banks being high. Around here it's very few and "far" between. I would also
recommend using a canoe. Out there I've seen them do it on the gravel bars. I would
think the stuff has eroded in and the banks have pushed back & winded far. Since you're
starting out find the fresh areas so you can figure out the basics.