We did our Christmas celebration/package opening/holiday stuff on the 23rd, so we had Christmas Day free to go artifact hunting . My daughter, Jennie Beth, and my sister, Thressa, and I went back to a spot we had found in the early spring, but never really got to explore because the snakes were getting so bad.
This area we wanted to look actually sits on a ridge, above some rock shelters, near a huge creek. On this ridge, there are lots of small trees, and under these trees, lots of erosion.(I LOVE erosion ) There are hundreds of pieces of flint/debitage on the ground under these trees---especially near the bases of the trees, where the roots are exposed. And you have to look at each piece of flint, because we found tiny broken bird points mixed in with the debitage. I even found a piece of pottery!
Most of the points we found were either broken or heavily used. It was still an awesome day to artifact hunt, with temps in the 50’s, sunshine and almost no wind. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend Christmas Day!
Here’s some pictures and hope everyone had a Blessed Christmas and please be safe through the New Year holiday!
Thanks for lookin’!
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
I'm so glad to see this post! sounds like a perfect outing! And yes, THAT'S the way to spend Christmas!! It would have made my day, fer sure. We find pieces of quartz like that only occasionally, and I always bring them home because it's such a rarity. Very nice presentation with your post too, enjoyed it! now I have to hit the creek......that banding just gets me going
I'm so glad to see this post! sounds like a perfect outing! And yes, THAT'S the way to spend Christmas!! It would have made my day, fer sure. We find pieces of quartz like that only occasionally, and I always bring them home because it's such a rarity. Very nice presentation with your post too, enjoyed it! now I have to hit the creek......that banding just gets me going
Thanks Lisa---that little piece of quartz looks like the top of a point to me---don't you know that stuff was miserable to knap?! It seems so brittle. It was mixed in with a whole bunch of other pieces of flint, though, so I know it must've been something.
What do you think that other thing is(picture #10)? Is it a tooth or just another piece of quartz?
And I was so tickled to find that piece of pottery!
Carmon~
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
That cahokia point would have been a killer. Shame its broken but I would have been pumped to find it none the less.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the help on pic #10.....I thought it might just be a rock, but its so smooth and an out of the ordinary looking rock, that I went ahead and brought it home.
And the point you call "Cahokia" may be a "Wash!ta" point since I'm in Okla.....I'm really not sure what the difference is between the two. I think they are very similar. (If someone wants to explain the differences between the two types, please go ahead. )
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
picture ten is what I was calling quartz...we find it mostly on the big rivers, and not alot of it. From what I've read it might be here from washed down glacier "trash"? The one in picture eight, that you call quartz, I haven't a clue! would love to hear more on the cahokia/wash!ta point....the one with the notches(?).. I'm thinking Wash!ta, because of the quality of knapping I went to the creek, and found a flake, hunting is sure tough here 'bouts
picture ten is what I was calling quartz...we find it mostly on the big rivers, and not alot of it. From what I've read it might be here from washed down glacier "trash"? The one in picture eight, that you call quartz, I haven't a clue! would love to hear more on the cahokia/wash!ta point....the one with the notches(?).. I'm thinking Wash!ta, because of the quality of knapping I went to the creek, and found a flake, hunting is sure tough here 'bouts
So, I actually found 2 pieces of quartz--the one on the left (in this picture) is the one that I think was a tip off an artifact.
The other piece is yellowed and so smooth, that I thought it was a tooth when I first found it.
Both of these pieces were mixed in with all the debitage on the ridge.
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
I went to the creek, and found a flake, hunting is sure tough here 'bouts
Hunting has been tough all over! Everytime it rains now, I try to check all the creeks . Its been nice to have these winter rains we've been getting instead of snowstorms!
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
We haven't found anything like the big white piece, though I've read that we should, I'm hoping that is something! The smaller yellow one, we find from white to yellow to orange to red...all smooth like that, but rarely, and they do come home with me
We haven't found anything like the big white piece, though I've read that we should, I'm hoping that is something! The smaller yellow one, we find from white to yellow to orange to red...all smooth like that, but rarely, and they do come home with me
I've found a total of five pieces of quartz and they're all white except for this little yellowed piece. Two of the pieces are pretty big and are smoothed off--they look like rubbing rocks or pecking stones. I don't think we have much quartz in this part of the state, so the Indians either carried it in, or as you said, it was washed in from the glaciers. Its always neat to find it, though.
In all of my grandpa's artifacts, he only had one that was quartz, and it looked like sugar quartz.
Originally Posted by fossis
That's the way to 'spend a day', nice finds.
Fossis.............
Thanks Fossis! Haven't we been having beautiful weather here in Okla?! Hope you had a good Christmas!
Carmon~
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
the one in #1o, #11 second row first one from left, and the yellow one in #16 all look like what i have allways called sandrock a type of quartz found in the sand quarries that are all around me here on the eastern highland rim of Tn. Terry
the one in #1o, #11 second row first one from left, and the yellow one in #16 all look like what i have allways called sandrock a type of quartz found in the sand quarries that are all around me here on the eastern highland rim of Tn. Terry
I've noticed that there seem to be a lot of quartz points back east. Its just a rare occurance for us to find it here, Terry. I've been artifact hunting for about 10 years now and have only five pieces----most of the artifacts in my area are made of Kay county flint or Foracre chert.
Funny story to tell you guys: On this piece, see the little round hole where there was a fossil at one time? My grandpa used to tell us kids, "Now, you see that hole there? Well, the Indians use to put poison in those little holes before they threw the spear and that would make the animals die faster!" As kids, we believed everything grandpa told us, and he'd spin a big tale about every artifact he found and how he thought it was used. Good memories.....I don't ever find one of those points with a little fossil hole in it, and not think of him.
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
i love that story! and now I'll think the same thing to when I find one, IF I ever find one again
You'll find more---I don't doubt that one bit .
Originally Posted by creekhunter
Cool finds and a great read thanks I enjoyed it like I was out hunting with you!
I'm not a very good story teller, creekhunter, but I'm glad you enjoyed reading this. Thanks!
"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name". Isaiah 45:3
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. My daughter, Jennie Beth, and my sister, Thressa, and I went back to a spot we had found in the early spring, but never really got to explore because the snakes were getting so bad. 
) There are hundreds of pieces of flint/debitage on the ground under these trees---especially near the bases of the trees, where the roots are exposed. And you have to look at each piece of flint, because we found tiny broken bird points mixed in with the debitage. I even found a piece of pottery! 
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sounds like a perfect outing! And yes, THAT'S the way to spend Christmas!! It would have made my day, fer sure. We find pieces of quartz like that only occasionally, and I always bring them home because it's such a rarity. Very nice presentation with your post too, enjoyed it! now I have to hit the creek......that banding just gets me going 
Originally Posted by naturegirl
)
? The one in picture eight, that you call quartz, I haven't a clue! 
would love to hear more on the cahokia/wash!ta point....the one with the notches(?).. I'm thinking Wash!ta, because of the quality of knapping
. Its been nice to have these winter rains we've been getting instead of snowstorms!
. 
