It's hard telling what they would have thought. I read that some of the historical Indians thought that the stone arrowheads they found laying all over were made by the spider for the people in times of need.
I have read a few versions of the spider story and really enjoy Indian lore/story books my favorite "why the opossum grins" . I am not so shure the clam things might be of freshwater?
It's hard to pass up a good fossil. I never know what's going to be in my pockets when I get back to my vehicle. What a strange and unfamiliar geological past Iowa has had. Thanks, Trout!