What have I stumbled upon?

[tncreeker]

OK,,,Last year in Jan., while scouting places to take the dog for swims in the summer time. I found some pieces of flint on the shore of Douglas lake. Everything I have read said that you will NOT find a point on Douglas. No biggy,,just looking for swimming holes. Well if you know the lake, you know that TVA drains/lowers it to basically its original depth in the winter. So yesterday I went back to the same place to run Buddy and just take a look see. I have drawn a picture of the area w/notes. What do you guys make of it? I`m going to try to get back there before the lake comes back,,maybe the good stuff is still there? The first pic. is of a piece of pottery with an impression init. The second pics are what I think are all worked pieces of flint,,the next are flakes and nodules,,,OMG the flakes were everywhere,,I picked up everything I saw. There are hundreds of small/tiny pieces. I know NOTHING about pottery, but there was a lot more of this stuff out there,,this is just a little of everything. It rained on us for 2 hours,,kept washing things out of the dirt/burnt clay nodules. What could have been there? Why sooooooooo many flint flakes? I`m begging for feedback.
Thank you all
Lori

 

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[Ohio_Doug]

Thats alot of debitage, I see some worked edges in the mix and a possible base. I would look that place over really well, there has got to be some good stuff there.

 

[Cachefind09]

It looks like you stumbled upon the exact spot where a flint knapper made arrowheads and other flint pieces many, many years ago. There appears to be alot of waste flakes and even some that look like they were used. I would go back there and prove them wrong by finding an arrowhead, your chances look pretty good you'll find one.

 

[musky44]

i agree, when u find that kind of evidence your eventually going to find some good stuff. it looks to me like some of the stuff u found is worked. good luck and keep us posted.

 

[tmodel]

Creek!! that sure looks lik a lot of napping scrap and in photo #s6302822 upper right corner, outside row of 4 , beside #'s three and four to left a dark colored piece lookes like it might be a rought made point, i think newer than late woodlan, left and down from point a large light gray piece and left of it a large dark gray one if these last two are unitface they could be scrappers.. micro close upsof boat faces of all four would help us be sure. Terry

 

[joshuaream]

Be careful about TVA lakes... You quickly get into a big mess of rules, regulations and Federal land.

I'm not trying to scare you, I firmly believe in our rights under the Carter Clause of the 1979 ARPA, which allows for no punishment for arrowheads. So I don't pick up pottery shards, flake tools, etc. The first time offense is usually a warning or a $275 citation, the second time is a $10,000 fine, and either a year in the pokey or probation.

Do your own research and decide.
http://blog.al.com/space-news/2010/09/arrowhead_hunters_ready_for_wo.html

OK,,,Last year in Jan., while scouting places to take the dog for swims in the summer time. I found some pieces of flint on the shore of Douglas lake. Everything I have read said that you will NOT find a point on Douglas. No biggy,,just looking for swimming holes. Well if you know the lake, you know that TVA drains/lowers it to basically its original depth in the winter. So yesterday I went back to the same place to run Buddy and just take a look see. I have drawn a picture of the area w/notes. What do you guys make of it? I`m going to try to get back there before the lake comes back,,maybe the good stuff is still there? The first pic. is of a piece of pottery with an impression init. The second pics are what I think are all worked pieces of flint,,the next are flakes and nodules,,,OMG the flakes were everywhere,,I picked up everything I saw. There are hundreds of small/tiny pieces. I know NOTHING about pottery, but there was a lot more of this stuff out there,,this is just a little of everything. It rained on us for 2 hours,,kept washing things out of the dirt/burnt clay nodules. What could have been there? Why sooooooooo many flint flakes? I`m begging for feedback.
Thank you all
Lori

 

[RGINN]

I don't recognize the first piece as pottery. But it's a part of the country I ain't familiar with and materials used were different. The next pics are some good workable stone, so you might have something there. There's so much, it might be an ancient quarry nearby. Could be a 'workshop' site. The women didn't like you workin flint just anywhere in the house, so you might have to find a place away from the main camp, where people wouldn't cut their feet walkin on flakes. In Oklahoma, when I find a village site, I look for a hill nearby and check out the south facing side. Usually tons of flakes and partial points. Nice location, warmer in the winter when you had time to make tools, far enough away you weren't bothered by or botherin anybody, yet close enough and high enough you could keep an eye on what was goin on in town. On the other hand, when I would find these workshop sites, I could walk down into the flats below and usually locate a village site. Cool site you've found and keep lookin.

 

[tncreeker]

Thank you everybody for your input. RGINN,,your explanation makes perfect sence to me,,I`ll look in that direction next time I get over there. About the legal crap,,well I have yet to find a point,,so I`m really just picking up rocks. Fine line I`m sure, but I`m NOT digging, sifting, or detecting. So we shall see what comes of this before I panick.

Terry,,I`ll put some close ups of some of these things on here later,,
I`m for sure going to go back there,,just dont want to go in the rain again,,,that sucked. I was soaked thru a jacket and 2 shirts,,I was so wet water ran down into my waterproof boots. I`ll keep you guys posted of future "Debitage".
Lori

 

[veryoldrockhunter]

Could you please get a close up of these two items?

 

[tncreeker]

After bugging Google for a few hours,,,,I have concluded that this was where Knapping 101 classes were held. I have uncovered the scraper section. Maybe part of the knife chapter as well. Terry,,,,,,I love your replys, always so encouraging and excited about what we all find on here,,,,BUT, I have no idea which pieces you are talking about. I think I might count differently? Please do not take that in any sort of a bad way!! I chuckled the whole time I was trying to figure out your directions. I think I might have even found enough now that I can start my own frame of scrapers. So here are a few of the scrapers, I love the blue one,,and it does sit very well in my fingers.

 

[tmodel]

[[NO]] bad way, Creek!! ok lets try a little different way. the copy of your first photo that Veryoldrockhunter!! posted with two arrows on it, wish i could do that. the top arrow darker piece to left looks like a scriber not as sure of lighter piece that arrow is pointing at. under top arrow is the last piece i was talking about the large dark gray one, to its right is the large light gray one these two ar the largest two in photo #823, above the large light gray one is a two color, dark with white base
look under it at edge of his arrow marked photo, that little tip you see is the point i first talked about, between these last two and the upper right corner of photo is row of 4.. Terry
PS lost spell check so hope you can read this.

 

[Tnmountains]

Was a trash pit off a main camping site probably near the French Broad river before the impoundment. Tva put everything under water but during winter pool you may be at a old high spot off the original river. I alway get the maps before the impoundments to study when hunting water areas in Tennessee. Sometimes the best sites will become exposed in the middle of a lake when they have the winter draw down. Looks to be typical stamped or incised clay (tn orange) pottery. The reason it is so small is due to wave action I imagine. Did you not see a lot of polished mussel shells. They will be small and worn down to the color of pearls. That will tell you the camp was near the original French Broad River. Lot of sites up your way and hundreds of mounds under water. They mapped almost every one. It was the era of the mound builders here when De Soto cruised by.
Hope this helps. Also on Fed or Tva land you are allowed to surface hunt and pick up artifacts as the said but where they get you is the clause on removing them! haha So as soon as you leave Fed land they can bust you. You just have to plan your escape wisely. Most guys dont care its only when you dig. Just be honest with them always works for me. Nice finds and should give up some more neat stuff!
HH
TnMtns

 

[veryoldrockhunter]

that Veryoldrockhunter!! posted with two arrows on it, wish i could do that.

It is quite simple; you just right click on the photo and save picture as; whatever in your desktop or wherever you want to. Go to paint and open the pic and click on the arrow that is piointed in the correct direction then left click on it in the area you want the arrow and drag it to the size and shape you want and let go of the button and save the pic.

 

[tncreeker]

Hey Terry,,,he`s right,,it works too!! I always wondered how people did that cool stuff with a pic. I went to paint,,it prompts you to choose a pic and then the tools are there for you to use. Ooooooohhhhh,,,I could realy have fun with this!! Feel like a kid that just learned a new cus word. hehehe