A few odds and ends

[Old Pueblo]

First off is this little Indian artifact I found on top of a hill, next to the driveway leading to one of the ranches around here. Im not sure if it is a projectile point, a scraper or what, but I think it may have been a point that was reworked into a scraper, since Ive seen other similar looking pieces, and I know the Natives did rework stuff. I noticed there was this old sign laying on the ground, as though it had been blown down by the wind, so I stopped the truck to turn it over and read it and I noticed a red Indian scraper (not seen in photos) laying on the ground. I picked it up and looked at it, but then put it back where it was found. It was a nice bright red color but nothing I consider all that special. You see that kind of stuff all over the place. Anyway, I reversed the truck and parked in this open space on the side of the driveway I opened the door, hopped out and took literally only one or two steps when I saw this little white point/scraper laying in the gravel next to the road. After that I decided to see what else was around, but didn't see anything other than a bunch of broken stones from making tools, which is also a very common sight here in the desert. While walking around for a minute I noticed some old mid century? garbage here and there, including that green cork top Bellows & Company whiskey bottle. Its a post prohibition but a cork top, so I thought it is kind of neat. The makers mark is Owens Illinois but Im not sure if thats a date code on the bottom. On Owens-Illinois glass the number at the right could be the date, but the bottom mark is a little different than the usual one, so it could just be a mold number.



The last two things here is this big old spike or square nail thing I found again, along the side of the road, next to a railroad and a crumbling adobe house, a while back. Is it old and if so, what is it? Just a general purpose nail, or did these have a specific use? My hand is in the one photo for scale. And what is that little triangular buckle looking thing in the first photo? Off a tin can or bucket or something? Maybe for the handle?

 

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[bradyboy]

rail road spike
suspender clip

 

[Old Pueblo]

rail road spike
suspender clip

Thank you. It must be old then, right? The railroad through here was built in the late 1900s, like 1908-1910, I want to say, and I dont remember seeing any RR spikes like this before. But the spikes I see are mostly modern.

 

[The_Piratess]

Hey there Old Pueblo congrats and as always I enjoy your interesting finds. Keep 'em coming.

 

[TheCannonballGuy]

Sorry, but no, that is definitely not a railroad spike. Actual rail spikes always have what is called an "offset head." The classic form, still in use today, was invented in 1832.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_fastening_system

Most folks have heard of the "Golden Spike" which completed the construction of the US Transcontinental Railroad a couple of months after the civil war ended in 1865. It still exists, and it has the typical railroad-spike offset head. Be sure to scroll down to see the "sideview" photo, at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_spike

 

[Old Pueblo]

Hey there Old Pueblo congrats and as always I enjoy your interesting finds. Keep 'em coming.

Thanks to you again, matey!

 

[Old Pueblo]

Ive never seen a RR spike that looks like this before, and there is an old RR nearby, but this was found much closer to the old adobe house. It doesnt seem like it'd be just a nail, but I dont know. And I cant think of really anything something like this might have been used on, other than basic building construction. You can see where the end of the spike is kind of worn over to one side from use, like someone used it as a chisel or something like that at one point. Ive seen similar wear on an old miner's pick I found. Ive found other chisels for hard rock mining before, but none of them look quite like this, but i suppose that is another possibility, given the very long history of mining around here (all the way back to Spanish times).