Is This A Cache?

[luckyinkentucky]

All of these blades were found at the same site within 15 feet from each other. Are they cache blades, or a cache of blades?

All of the bases are not broken, but are roughly worked.

 

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[pickaway]

nice finds on the opposite side of pieces is it worked or is it smooth?

 

[luckyinkentucky]

Both sides are equally worked.

 

[Ohio_Doug]

Looks like they were all chipped from the same core and probably by the same person, very interesting.

 

[Cannonman17]

Looks like one to me but I don't know what time period or type... I would like to hear Matt's opinion on these.

 

[Bridge End Farm]

nice finds

 

[Highmountain]

All of these blades were found at the same site within 15 feet from each other. Are they cache blades, or a cache of blades?

All of the bases are not broken, but are roughly worked.

Looks as though you might have found a heat-treatment pit. If you aren't familiar with the processes that caused so many of these sites to be around the links below might explain it better:

http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/learn/ancient/flint.htm

Heat treatment improves the knapping quality of some raw materials. It requires gradual application of high heat. The color and luster of the rock often change noticeably, and the flaking quality of the rock improves because its texture becomes smoother and less grainy. Heat treatment is usually applied to small and medium cores, flakes, or bifaces; larger pieces are difficult to heat evenly and thoroughly. To begin the process, a good sized fire is burned down to glowing coals and hot sand. A pit is excavated and the remains of the old fire placed into it (A and B). Already warmed chert pieces are placed into the pit (C) and covered with sand. A new fire is built and allowed to burn out over a 24 hour period before digging up the heat treated pieces. Care must be taken, for heat treatment can cause rocks to fracture explosively




http://www.thudscave.com/petroglyphs/knappable.htm

Chert
A silica-rich crypto-crystalline rock. Cherts will form from a variety of sedimentary rock processes and are commonly found as nodules in limestone & dolomite deposits. Chert is generally considered an impure form of flint. Impurities in the chert result in a wide variety of colors and textures. Because the differences between flint and chert are so subtle, many archaeologists refer to chert and flint as “Crypto-Crystalline Silicates” or CCS. Most chert will respond to heat-treatment.


http://www.primitiveways.com/knapping1.html
http://www.donsmaps.com/heatflint.html
http://www.sparrowcreek.com/Stone.htm

 

[Cannonman17]

Good idea/possibility but I wouldn't think it would be the case for these because the quality of the material appears as though it would be pretty high even without heat treating. Then again some of the white clouding in the last pic makes me wonder... the distinct white areas towards the edge are not indicitive of heat treating though, those are simply different layers in the stone. Color marbling is a common side effect though... hmmm