Need a bit of advice from the experts here...

[fir469]

I live in Southern NJ and have recently been searching a deeply plowed farm field close by that I have been metal detecting for a few years. I'm now 6 hunts in and a friend has accompanied me for 4 of them. The field is a good long distance from any source of water (although creeks do run on the 2,000 acres the owner has) and possesses a few small hills rolling across the farm. In 6 hunts, I have filled 4 paper dinner plates mounded with flakes (yellow, red, and popcorn jasper, quartz, argillite) and my buddy has 2 full plates. Pieces range from 1/4" to almost 2" across. We have each located a half a dozen points but none that are high quality, some broken points, very few pieces of pottery and loads of clay pipe stems. I only started seriously point hunting this year and I'm confused now with this farm. Of the 1,000 acres that are currently plowed, 90% of the fields possess rounded river gravels. Only one small field with one small hill has angular gravels and produced points and flakes.

Anyone know why the rest of the farm would have such different gravels and not produce any artifacts? In addition, why would this lone small hill far from water produce such a huge volume of flakes but very few actual artifacts? I'm stumped. The soil strata seems to change at about 1 foot to 1.5 feet into a more clayey sand and silt, while the top foot is a silty sand. I wish I could dig and sift but the field is due to be seeded soon. I appreciate any help and insight. I could also use a few pointers or tips to be better at finding where I should be looking.

Thanks,
Jason

 

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[SOHIO]

I don't know about why there is different gravel on a lone hill thats a question for someone smarter than me but the small lone hill was probably a spot they may have camped because it was slightly higher in elevation helping to avoid flooding or perhaps during the time they were there it was flooded a bit and they sought out the highest ground. I have several fields with slight hills and there always seems to be more around theses spots. Make sure you post a picture when you find a full pipe. If you post someof your points maybe someone could tell you what culture they are from. Good luck.

 

[fir469]

Most of the points I've identified as being 500 to 3,000 before present. I'm just shocked at the massive amounts of flakes with few points. My buddy has been hunting much longer then me and seems to think it was a fairly long term camp where some heavy point manufacturing was going on. I can only assume that they were manufactured and taken with them elsewhere which would explain the lack of points. It's just strange to not find any artifacts like celts, axeheads, scrapers and the such.