An Unexpected Find

monsterrack

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I got a call Friday from a buddy that lives close to a creek and it also is a site of a French Camp that I found some years ago and he told me that a section of bank about 35' long and 3' thick had slid off in the creek bottom. I didn't think much of it, but something just told me to go look at it. I wasn't thinking about finding anything , but my buddy had been watching out for me so I thought it was the least I could do, since he took the time to tell me. Thank God for good friends, I walked to the edge of the slide and looked down on just a pile of dirt and thought I would get a better look. As I was climbing down the slope I got a view that made my heart jump. What I saw was a line of glass trade beads in the dirt, so I picked up what I could and then made a wild dash to the house for my screen and shovel, I found a few more but not many more than what was laying in the open. beads from French camp site 001.JPG beads from French camp site 002.JPG beads from French camp site 003.JPG beads from French camp site 004.JPG We call the white beads peanut beads due to their shape, but I have never found any peanut beads of color the dark blue and the light blue are real rare and the one with the brown stripes I have seen before, but then there is a translucent green bead with white stripes , I'm not sure what it is yet, but my best find to me is the long peanut shape one with blue stripes. The single bead in my hand with blue stripes and is barrel shape I have found this type before, all these are French Trade beads that where traded to the Natchez Indians in the 1700s and you can see from the single white one in my hand how they got their name.
 

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unclemac

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you may very possibly have uncovered a burial site, be careful. do not expect to find bones either, those would most likely be lone gone.
 

curious kat

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Amazing monsterrack....to think they were there all that time...it's so great that you found them.:hello2: Makes me treasure my one little red trade bead all the more...and thank you guys again for even telling me it was one.:thumbsup: I'm glad it was you who found them monsterrack, super find. :)
 

patiodadio

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Wow !!! What a great find !
 

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monsterrack

monsterrack

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you may very possibly have uncovered a burial site, be careful. do not expect to find bones either, those would most likely be lone gone.

You are right Unclemac, you have to be real careful. The soil in my area as a lot of acid in it and bones won't last over 200 yrs, but due to my past times I don't believe this is a burial, if I had any doubt I would call the state and let them take over. I think this is a lost hand full of beads. The Natchez Indians buried in large family plots. The last spot I had dealings with, loggers dozed over about 30 graves and there was 1,000s of beads all over the ground. When we saw what we had found we contacted the state and they came and took a look but said it was to far gone and gave us their blessing since we had permission to collect on this land. We never found the first bone and only 1 stone artifact a chunky stone, but word got out about our find and then it became a free for all with trespasser's.
 

Tnmountains

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If they are trade beads the bones should still be there. We have many interments wash out often here that are way way older then contact period. Any way you look at it very nice rescue for your collection.They will look nice restrung.
 

unclemac

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If they are trade beads the bones should still be there. We have many interments wash out often here that are way way older then contact period. Any way you look at it very nice rescue for your collection.They will look nice restrung.

you would think so but I have been on digs where we found gold coins in the grave but the only indication of a body was discolored dirt. You really have to know what you are looking at to even tell, even the dirt is given back to the tribe for re-burial.
 

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monsterrack

monsterrack

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Unclemac is right, in this area on the Ms.side of the river you want find bone, just a lighter color of dirt. On the La.side of the river you can find them that is over 800-1000 years old. It all has to do with the acid in the soils.



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rock

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So lets talk dirt. You say the dirt changes color what color would it be if it was a burial area?
 

catherine1

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Monsterack told you the answer to your ? Rock. The soil is lighter colored were the bones dissolved. I can testify to this as 99% of my finds are digs. And I find alot of bone.
 

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rock

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Lighter? allot of lighter colors
 

unclemac

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Sutton-Hoo-sand-body-credit-Suffolk-County-Council-Archaeological-Service.jpg


this is from Sutton Hoo. Notice that is has been uncovered professionally in an exposed layer because the archeologists knew what they were looking at. If most of us had been digging that we would have gone straight down and missed the color change.
 

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