New to Forum - and new items found

[HDS1973]

Hello, I'm new to this forum and wanted to share some of the images of the objects I found today. I have searched the entire summer and miles upon miles of creek and river bed searching and dredging only to find nothing. That all came to an abrupt conclusion on the 27th of Sept when I found my very first artifact. It is the hand scraper that is the first photograph posted. Today, I revisited the very same site and discovered the all the rest - I believe four partial bowls (3) sides and (1) bottom (all soap stone). A scraper that is quite similar to the one on my first visit - (although I am not certain if it is the deal) and other objects that I would like to get opinions on - whether they are just rocks or artifacts. Lastly everything was found within a 5'X12' area in a creek bed in Maryland. Any thoughts or comments are truly appreciated. Thanks.

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Sorry, they are all rocks, no artifacts..

 

[HDS1973]

Sorry, they are all rocks, no artifacts..

Thanks for sharing your opinion.

 

[catherine1]

I concur. These people were living in the stone age.

 

[monsterrack]

Welcome to T-net and keep on looking and you will a good artifact.

 

[kingskid1611]

Welcome to the party. You seem to have a good place to hike so you should run up on some artifacts soon. Happy Hunting!

 

[Indian Steve]

I believe that the last picture is of part of a soapstone bowl. Please show more pictures of it from different angles. steve

 

[rock]

Welcome to the site. They look natural to me also. Is there anybody you know that looks for them? If there is and they know what to look for and save see if you can go with them and learn. Thats what I did and every once in a while I will still bring a rock home by mistake. But thats learning

 

[HDS1973]

Welcome to the site. They look natural to me also. Is there anybody you know that looks for them? If there is and they know what to look for and save see if you can go with them and learn. Thats what I did and every once in a while I will still bring a rock home by mistake. But thats learning

Thanks Rock, well there was a local guy who was ancient that was the one who everyone brought there finding to years ago, but he has passed on about 10 years back. This area (I should I say the fields of the farm) my grandfather found 100s of no - doubt about arrowheads - almost all made of quartz - not flint. The artifacts found in this area are either quartz or soapstone - there is no flint to speak of. The one-sided scraper with thumb pab is very heavily used, in my grandfather's collection there is an identical - but is slightly larger due to retailing sharp edges. If you or anyone knows of an individual that would take a look at what I've found that would be great. Thank you

 

[HDS1973]

I believe that the last picture is of part of a soapstone bowl. Please show more pictures of it from different angles. steve

Hello Indian Steve, please view the following images, I believe all have been worked - but are a bit crude or old - all are soapstone even the darker one. .

 

[HDS1973]

By any chance - would anyone have an idea around about the time these soapstone objects were made? - or is the consensus still that they are only rocks? Any thoughts would be helpful - or would it be better that everything goes in the trash - and to start over from scratch?

 

[SCrocks]

I go along with Indian Steve. Looks like you may be on a soapstone work spot. Looks like some broke soapstone bowl preforms. In Rodney Pecks book Soapstone of the Carolinas it showed some very curd quartz tools similar to a couple you pictured that were used to quarry the preforms.

 

[Indian Steve]

I would say all of the ones in your last pictures are worked soapstone. I think that the might have been broken during the making. Most soapstone stuff around here is Archaic period. Keep looking!

 

[HDS1973]

I go along with Indian Steve. Looks like you may be on a soapstone work spot. Looks like some broke soapstone bowl preforms. In Rodney Pecks book Soapstone of the Carolinas it showed some very curd quartz tools similar to a couple you pictured that were used to quarry the preforms.

Thanks SCrocks for the information. While I was searching the internet for the book you recommended I also found a pretty interesting paper Prehistoric soapstone use in northeastern Maryland by Gary D. Shaffer that discusses objects from this period. Good images too.

I would say all of the ones in your last pictures are worked soapstone. I think that the might have been broken during the making. Most soapstone stuff around here is Archaic period. Keep looking!

Well, I went back and found this upstream from the initial area - I'm perplexed. Obviously there's a hole and it's made of soapstone. It's formed in layers, the like I've never seen before in soapstone. Rock or other??

 

[CaptEsteban]

This could be a " Cooking or Heating Stone ."
Are there any very large pieces of soapstone in the area ? If so, look over the side of those to see if there are any signs of where soapstone bowls have been carved out, or unfinished carved bowls may still be attached.

 

[NEPADIGGER7]

Sorry, they are all rocks, no artifacts..

i second Thunter! its alright though pick ur head up and do some research...u will find what ur looking for! welcome to Tnet!

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I'm not sure what you guys are seeing because I see nothing but natural stones. That last piece with the hole in it is not Soapstone. Soapstone does not come in layers like that. That looks more like Shale to me.

 

[SCrocks]

Steve-Mainly the three pieces in the one picture are what I believe are broken pre-form lug handle bowl pieces. Looks like clear gouge marks. The rest may be just plain rocks or a piece or two of soapstone debitage in the mix. The quartz/quartzite rocks in the pictures I would likely not even pick up thinking they are nothing but if I found those three pieces near by I would take a closer look at them. I don't know about the one in pictures but some extremely crude tools were used to gouge and carve the soapstone.

 

[HDS1973]

I'm sure what you guys are seeing because I see nothing but natural stones. That last piece with the hole in it is not Soapstone. Soapstone does not come in layers like that. That looks more like Shale to me.

I would like this comment too, if only it weren't soapstone - but it is. Like I said, I've never seen the like of it before.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Still not seeing anything but natural rocks..