A AH-HA moment for a site.

[monsterrack]

I have been hunting these fields along this creek for over 20 years and have found a lot of points from all time frames in the fields ,nothing in the creek. This last weekend I went and found one whole artifact that when added to the years of finding other items and what the location is like it all made sense to me. I have found lots of broken items in these fields and always thought it was due to use or farming tools, but I never found pottery. We have over 800 acres that has a large sandy creek that runs through the middle, but for some reason I never put 2&2 together. This is what I found last weekend. a perform, crude hafted scraper, some turtle back scrapers, broken pencil drill, broken point and a unfinished point that is whole.

Now why do I say it not finished, first if you look at the right side of the point it is jagged, some will say it is broken, but I know enough about flintknapping to know that they were not done with this point. There is no wear sign on the edges and the dead give away is the tip. It still has some of the rine or outside core of the stone. You don't make a object to cut and have a dull point. To some this may be boring , but once I added all the info of over the years and finds under my microscope and items I didn't find I knew then I was dealing with a lithic tool making site that is very large and covers over 1 mile on both sides of the creek.

First lots of broken stone tools, second a good supply for stone, third no wear on any of the stone tools and then no pottery. It's strange how one point brought all this together, along with years of walking this field. For years I gave the creek as a reason for occupation of the site for fresh water, but it was the stone that they came for, not hunting, season camp site or anything like that. They came to make tools and preforms to carry back to their village(now I've to find that). The creek at sometime cut into a ancient river bed of chert nodules and gave them the reason to be there.(Sorry if this is long and boring)

 

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[cladpirate]

I have been hunting these fields along this creek for over 20 years and have found a lot of points from all time frames in the fields ,nothing in the creek. This last weekend I went and found one whole artifact that when added to the years of finding other items and what the location is like it all made sense to me. I have found lots of broken items in these fields and always thought it was due to use or farming tools, but I never found pottery. We have over 800 acres that has a large sandy creek that runs through the middle, but for some reason I never put 2&2 together. This is what I found last weekend. View attachment 1588246 a perform, crude hafted scraper, some turtle back scrapers, broken pencil drill, broken point and a unfinished point that is whole. View attachment 1588248

Now why do I say it not finished, first if you look at the right side of the point it is jagged, some will say it is broken, but I know enough about flintknapping to know that they were not done with this point. There is no wear sign on the edges and the dead give away is the tip. It still has some of the rine or outside core of the stone. You don't make a object to cut and have a dull point. View attachment 1588251 To some this may be boring , but once I added all the info of over the years and finds under my microscope and items I didn't find I knew then I was dealing with a lithic tool making site that is very large and covers over 1 mile on both sides of the creek.

First lots of broken stone tools, second a good supply for stone, third no wear on any of the stone tools and then no pottery. It's strange how one point brought all this together, along with years of walking this field. For years I gave the creek as a reason for occupation of the site for fresh water, but it was the stone that they came for, not hunting, season camp site or anything like that. They came to make tools and preforms to carry back to their village(now I've to find that). View attachment 1588253 The creek at sometime cut into a ancient river bed of chert nodules and gave them the reason to be there.(Sorry if this is long and boring)

Thats some good detective work. This must have been a huge group effort, I hope that you are able to find where the home camp was located.

 

[ptsofnc]

I'm constantly amazed and fascinated that there were people living and thriving (everywhere) on this continent so LONG before our (European) ancestors arrived. We can still find clues and try and figure out a little about how/when they lived. I'm also amazed that there are so few people that care or are interested in these early people. If MS is like NC, it seems like 100s of acres are being lost daily due to new construction....history lost forever. Wishing you continued success in figuring things out.

 

[NCPeaches]

Not boring at all! My late father in law had a similar area in his back yard and speculated that they worked points and tools in that spot due to not finding pottery and the like. Now way downhill along the Catawba River there were things found like pipes and bowls but not up the hill where he found axe heads, points and stuff like that. Thank you monsterrack for sharing your knowledge and finds, most informative and I love it! Can't wait to see what you find next and am sure it will be amazing, wish I had access to a site like that.

 

[Shorewalker]

Yes, monsterrack, I also find it very interesting. I have an area where I find tons of tools, some points and almost no pottery (8 or 10 pieces over 15+ years). I figure it was a production site. I don't know about any source of good material. It's where I find my best quartz points.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I've visited many flint quarries and knapping sites. You don't find finished points too often but do find lots of other interesting stuff. The preforms you find invariably have some defect. They took the good ones with them and left the junk. If you have good flint nodules you can get $2/lb. for them at the knap-ins. It has to be tested and solid. You may be sitting on a small gold mine! Gary

 

[monsterrack]

I've visited many flint quarries and knapping sites. You don't find finished points too often but do find lots of other interesting stuff. The preforms you find invariably have some defect. They took the good ones with them and left the junk. If you have good flint nodules you can get $2/lb. for them at the knap-ins. It has to be tested and solid. You may be sitting on a small gold mine! Gary

Gary the chert in my area is so hard to knapp that any knapper would run from this stuff. Even if you heat treat this stuff it is still tough to work and I have been doing it a long time.