Recent Finds 5/20/10

[Th3rty7]

Went back to my WV spot after a couple inches of rain. Some dude was practicing on the mx track so I hit the creek. I'm glad I did because I found a camo celt, it's sort of crude, but the bit is in good shape. I don't know if it was made this way or damaged from rolling around in a creek for hundreds of years? Then I went back up to the field and found 5 points. I got some video of the insitus, except the nicest point, it was surrounded by flakes and I picked it up before I could get a video or insitu. Thanks for looking, HH.

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[choo]

Thanks for the look. Great Finds.

[jamey]

good hunt 37,took me a while to ind the celt in the 1st shot.thanks jamey

[Th3rty7]

good hunt 37,took me a while to ind the celt in the 1st shot.thanks jamey

Thanks jamey, it's a tough find for sure. I would have missed if it wasn't for the piece of raw greenstone nearby that I bent down to inspect.

Thanks Choo.

[RichPA]

Nice finds, maybe the dirtbike moved some dirt in a good way. Gotta love that constant erosion from the bikes.

[JUNKYARD DOG]

nice nice finds thirty7, its funny that the ears on the serated one made it but the tip busted off, thats a heart breaker. Take care and lotsa luck... JYD...

[sscindercoop]

Nice variety

[theviking]

Great hunt, love the video. H.H.

[TripleCreek]

Looks like a very nice hunt 37. I still can not find the Celt in the first picture (?) I don't even see a stone that looks like it could be big enough to be the Celt ! Must be my eyes. The bit looks to have polished up nicely, but the rest of the stone looks like it was a very grainy rock. Maybe too grainy to hold a sharp bit ? Did the Celt seem to be a finish tool? I'd like to see more pics., if you have them.
The rest of the points look good. Very productive area. Thanks for showing them.

3creeks

[Th3rty7]

Looks like a very nice hunt 37. I still can not find the Celt in the first picture (?) I don't even see a stone that looks like it could be big enough to be the Celt ! Must be my eyes. The bit looks to have polished up nicely, but the rest of the stone looks like it was a very grainy rock. Maybe too grainy to hold a sharp bit ? Did the Celt seem to be a finish tool? I'd like to see more pics., if you have them.
The rest of the points look good. Very productive area. Thanks for showing them.

3creeks

Thanks triplecreek, here's a few more pics of the celt and where I found it. That gravel bar wasn't even there last year, all the rain and snow runoff has really changed this small creek. The second pic is a closer view of where I found it laying, it's towards the bottom of the larger fossilized rock near center. Imo it's finished because of the condition of the bit. Not sure if the rest is damaged or pecking marks? It's hard to see and hard to picture as well. Not sure of the material but it took a good polished bit. What do you think?

[TripleCreek]

Very interesting piece. I would say it is an unfinished tool. Never halfed. There has definitely been some percussion shaping done along the sides, and from the rear of the Celt. This shaping was done to reduce the amount of pecking and grinding needed to shape the tool. On the third picture down, you can see a high ridge that runs down the the face (side) of the Celt. This ridge would make it very difficult to half the Celt. A finished Celt "has" to have only the top and bottom of the Celt contacting the hole that is burn & chiseled into the handle. The impact of using the tool compresses the tool tighter and tighter into the hole for a snog fit. If the Celt contacts the sides of the handle it will split the handle, as a result of continued impact and shock. The fit is often so precise that a "marker" is abraded onto the bottom of the tool to insure that it is returned to the hole in the same direction each time. The very first thing that would have been done in preparing that Celt to half, would have been to start to peck and grinding that high ridge. The initial effort would have been very productive, to "flatten" that high ridge, yet it appears that no effort was put into pecking that area at all. So, I would say unfinished tool. It may go back to my initial suggestion that the maker may have felt the stone was never going to "hold and edge" that was worth finishing the tool.

Just my opinion. I often find "stopped in production" pieces the most intresting. It often gives some incite into the decision making process.

Thanks for sharing, and posting more pictures. Tell me what you think.

3creeks

[ohio]

Looks like fun man! Kudos on spotting that celt. That thing was super subtle.

Chuck

[Th3rty7]

Very interesting piece. I would say it is an unfinished tool. Never halfed. There has definitely been some percussion shaping done along the sides, and from the rear of the Celt. This shaping was done to reduce the amount of pecking and grinding needed to shape the tool. On the third picture down, you can see a high ridge that runs down the the face (side) of the Celt. This ridge would make it very difficult to half the Celt. A finished Celt "has" to have only the top and bottom of the Celt contacting the hole that is burn & chiseled into the handle. The impact of using the tool compresses the tool tighter and tighter into the hole for a snog fit. If the Celt contacts the sides of the handle it will split the handle, as a result of continued impact and shock. The fit is often so precise that a "marker" is abraded onto the bottom of the tool to insure that it is returned to the hole in the same direction each time. The very first thing that would have been done in preparing that Celt to half, would have been to start to peck and grinding that high ridge. The initial effort would have been very productive, to "flatten" that high ridge, yet it appears that no effort was put into pecking that area at all. So, I would say unfinished tool. It may go back to my initial suggestion that the maker may have felt the stone was never going to "hold and edge" that was worth finishing the tool.

Just my opinion. I often find "stopped in production" pieces the most intresting. It often gives some incite into the decision making process.

Thanks for sharing, and posting more pictures. Tell me what you think.

3creeks

Triplecreek, I appreciate you taking the time to comment. Honestly I haven't studied hardstone tools nearly as much as projectile points and knives. Most of what I've learned has been from experience and what I've picked up personally. I thought the bit of a celt was the last area to be worked because I've found preforms that are pecked and polished to celt shape without a worked bit. Also I wasn't aware that all celts were hafted, I thought some were handheld tools. I think what is most problematic with this piece is the material, it seems unusual and hard to understand what's damaged and what was pecked away during manufacture. What you've said makes alot of sense, I simply don't know. It's kind of a piece you have to hold in your hand to accurately study. It's almost like an entire outer layer of the stone is missing that probably held alot of clues. I think creek damage could have chunked out area on this piece and left that ridge that at one time might have been more uniform? Just a guess, could be an unfinished piece that was discarded, I'm not sure. You're right though, problematic artifacts are very interesting because they make you think about the process and decisions the ancient maker was forced to make. Thanks again, Ryan

[Th3rty7]

Looks like fun man! Kudos on spotting that celt. That thing was super subtle.

Chuck

Always a blast, I would have never spotted it but to the right is a piece of greenstone that appears worked. as I was bending down to pick that piece up which I thought was a celt, I noticed the worked bit of the real one. Funny how it happens like that, the greenstone piece was just a natural geofact. Thanks Chuck

[Tnmountains]

Looks like you got your arrowhead fix.You had a really good day. Its fun seeing that stuff plucked from the ground. Nice spot on that celt as well. It seems to have a good bit. Nice study tool.
Thanks for the ride. My hunt Thurs hunt was a bust

[Th3rty7]

Looks like you got your arrowhead fix.You had a really good day. Its fun seeing that stuff plucked from the ground. Nice spot on that celt as well. It seems to have a good bit. Nice study tool.
Thanks for the ride. My hunt Thurs hunt was a bust

Thanks man, any banks showing on that river? ...probably not with all this rain.

[Th3rty7]

nice nice finds thirty7, its funny that the ears on the serated one made it but the tip busted off, thats a heart breaker. Take care and lotsa luck... JYD...

I was thinking the same thing, It would have been a killer with tip intact, thanks jyd.

Appreciate the comments fellas.