HUGE Indian trading post discovered in San Antonio

[GL]

Yard work yields archaeological finds for Seguin man
By ROGER CROTEAU San Antonio Express-News
Sept. 28, 2008

SEGUIN — One day this past June, Floyd McKee hauled a load of topsoil from near the bank of the Guadalupe River, on which his property sits, and dumped it on the grass in his yard.

"It rained that night, and when I went out in the morning, the yard was covered with spear points," he said. "I got more dirt and sifted it and found a dozen more."

Surprised, McKee contacted local archaeologists Bob Everett and Richard Kinz, both of whom soon declared that McKee's property, near Starcke Park, was among the richest Paleo-Indian archaeological finds they had ever seen.

On Saturday, they announced the discovery, some of which will be on display next month at the Seguin Heritage Museum for Archaeology Awareness Month.

So far, McKee has excavated a trench about 50 feet long, 10 feet wide and 7 feet deep and has found hundreds of spearheads, arrowheads, bones and stone tools.

Archaeologists have dated the artifacts and said they could be as old as 11,000 years or as young as 200.

The Texas Historical Commission said it plans to send a team to Seguin next month to check out the find.

"To be here in the city limits, it's unique," McKee said. "But we don't really know what we've got yet."

McKee's wife, Jody McKee, said the couple suspect that their backyard was once an "important trading center."

"It was like a Wal-Mart for Paleo-Indians," she said.

Other such trading posts have been unearthed in Bastrop and San Marcos.

Among the finds on the McKee property so far: rare Andice spear points; Guadalupe bi-face stone woodworking tools, used to build dugout canoes; arrowheads from Oklahoma and Colorado; and cleavers and seashells from the coast.

Michelle Hammond, assistant director of the Seguin Heritage Museum, said the facility awaits the artifacts.

"We're lucky to have such a collection to display at the museum," she said.

The museum is also planning a sort of "artifacts road show" for Oct. 25 and 26, in which people can bring up to three artifacts for archaeologists to examine and identify, she said.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6028052.html

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[pickaway]

Probably wont see much of them artifacts.Confused why they say Paleo then say they could be only 200 years old hmmmm...

 

[Jonnyreb]

Probably wont see much of them artifacts.Confused why they say Paleo then say they could be only 200 years old hmmmm...

Probably a multi component site they have there. In that part of the country, its common to find Paleo to historic all on the same sites.
I think the guy made a helluva mistake tellin the archies though.

 

[Shemanese]

Explain please, why it would be a mistake telling the archies? Do they confiscate your stuff? Or make it where you can't dig for stuff anymore? I'm really curious.

 

[GL]

I would have totally made a million cases and built an addition for my new collection.
Dorkfish would have serious competition if I would have found this on my land.

 

[Jonnyreb]

Explain please, why it would be a mistake telling the archies? Do they confiscate your stuff? Or make it where you can't dig for stuff anymore? I'm really curious.

Archies are at least here in Texas, very treacherous. I know of actual BURGLURIES perpetrated by them here, and SMU covering for them. I know it for a fact. And yes, one tactic is that if they want your stuff, or your property, they may decide to declare it a "burial" and get you in trouble with the NAGPRA laws, even with no evidence...ie human remains. If you dont take anything else to heart my friend, know this, archies are no friends of the collector. They are liers and theives so far as I have met. If they had it their way, you would not be allowed to pick an arrowhead out of your own driveway to keep it from being broken. Thats just the way they are. Sorry to say.
In other words, Dont share with them a Dayum thing. Not till they change their attitudes anyway.

 

[*Molly*]

What a silly guy. He'll be lucky to ever see any of those, most will be boxed up in storage, as usual. Nor will he see any money. If he didn't want the artifacts he should have researched them, sold them to repitable collectors. He would have got a good price, if he's wealthy he could have donated the money to charity.
What a waste. I'm surprised with finding bones the archies haven't claimed the land.

If I personally would have found those, I would have one hell of a man-cave. lol.

Molly.

 

[DreamcatcherNC]

I've never had a problem here in NC but, I know of several people who have had artifacts they collected on state or govt. land confiscated. I do all of my searches on private property and about the only restrictions pertain to burial grounds/graves. Here's a quote from the NC archaeological folks:

"It is against the law to collect artifacts from state or federal property without proper authorization. It is against state law to disturb marked or unmarked graves or burial sites on private or public property. It is illegal to collect artifacts from the bottoms of navigable bodies of water if the artifacts are more than ten years old. It can be a trespassing violation to gather artifacts on private property without the permission of the landowner".

 

[Billco]

I've never had a problem here in NC but, I know of several people who have had artifacts they collected on state or govt. land confiscated. I do all of my searches on private property and about the only restrictions pertain to burial grounds/graves. Here's a quote from the NC archaeological folks:

"It is against the law to collect artifacts from state or federal property without proper authorization. It is against state law to disturb marked or unmarked graves or burial sites on private or public property. It is illegal to collect artifacts from the bottoms of navigable bodies of water if the artifacts are more than ten years old. It can be a trespassing violation to gather artifacts on private property without the permission of the landowner".

Wow. 11 year old "artifacts" should be left at the bottom of the river? These are strange times we live in.

Regarding the tresspassing violation, that's a no-brainer. But even there, having been born and raised "out in the woods," I remember a time when nobody cared if you walked across their acreage and wouldn't have cared if you picked up an arrowhead. We're not going back to those days, but it was better when people were more generous and friendly.

 

[DreamcatcherNC]

Yeah, it's all kind of hard to swallow. I know for a fact some of the foresters and other workers in the Uwharrie National Forest have some great collections.

16 US code states the following:
U.S.C. 470ee(g),Removal of arrow-heads located on ground surface.

(g) Nothing in subsection (d) of this section shall be deemed
applicable to any person with respect to the removal of
arrowheads located on the surface of the ground.

NC gets around this by saying it's a violation of state law and since the land is in the state you can't take the arrowheads. Never heard of anyone prosecuted but I know many who have had points confiscated.

 

[Jonnyreb]

And I know of a Lake Patrol on Texarkana Lake who conficates arrowheads and then sells them for his own personal gain.
Yes, he's been reported, but nothing done.

 

[Shemanese]

So you guys, and Molly, are saying the State can take your finds even if it's on private property? What happens if they find 1 piece of human bone? Would like info regarding Ohio laws. In the Revised Code? TIA

 

[DreamcatcherNC]

No, I'm not saying they will/can take anything found on private property - with the exception of human remains. Private land finds are legal. I'm saying if you get caught taking arrowheads, etc, from US or NC land and they see you - they most probably will confiscate your finds.

 

[Jonnyreb]

So you guys, and Molly, are saying the State can take your finds even if it's on private property? What happens if they find 1 piece of human bone? Would like info regarding Ohio laws. In the Revised Code? TIA

In your State, as in Texas, it is perfectly legal to dig on private property on which you have permission... However, the NAGPRA laws are a game changer, and some state laws are in conflict with NAGPRA.
My advice if you were to find a human bone would be to rebury it immediately and not tell a soul about it.
Did you know in most jurisdictions its the law to report any finding of human remains...even if you know absolutely that its from a 1200 year old Native American? Even if the human remain has been made into another type of artifact, you are still required by law to report that. A guy in Missouri had surface found a human jawbone in a cave, and caught all kinds of grief as a result. No he didnt keep it, but had said something to one of his chums, who told other "chums" and so on and so on....
Just be careful out there is what I'm tryin to say.