Best finds to date...

searcher · May 2, 2005

my favorites!! most of these were not in a midan mound...
searcher

aquabob · Jun 1, 2005

Are the midan mounds that you speak of associated with a particular "tribe" of Indians, or shall I say "are they geographic". Do you think we have these mounds here in Pennsylvania? We have lots and lots of Indian sites here. I am still looking for my first point, but have found lots of flint "chips" in a confined area. Someone told me that when you find an area with scattered flint chips, to look real hard, as that was an area where they were "working" points. I would love to find one of those midan mounds, but don't know how to begin looking for a mound. Most of my looking is in plowed corn fields, after a rain, and like I said, so far.............only chips!

Bob

jeff of pa · Jun 1, 2005

If I'm not Mistaken, I think, in the "History of Halifax"

They mention a mound being Dug up to Build the "Clarks Ferry Bridge", across the Susquehanna.

In Dauphin County.

? This was a BURIAL MOUND

Wild Boulder Bill · Jun 1, 2005

Most of the Mounds, let me rephrase, all of the mounds I have ever seen are burial mounds. There is usually a lot of points and pots associated there with. However if you are in a burial mound I would not publish that here. It is go to jail, go directly to jail, do not pass go. I agree with this one. The bone fragments that get moved when excavating mounds have no value to us, but they have a lot of value to archeologists. I noticed you said you weren't in the mounds. If you do find mounds do us all a favor and notify an archeologist.

Wild Boulder

aquabob · Jun 2, 2005

Jeff,

I have heard of burial mounds here in PA, there are several here in West Hanover, I have heard of the burial mound at Clarks Ferry, there was a HUGE Tribal war that took place on the actual island at Clarks Ferry. I can't seem to find the post, but Searcher posted a picture of a Midan mound, and said that it was an area where points and tools were manufactured over a long period.....I didn't think that was a burial mound, but maybe it is....?

bob

searcher · Jun 2, 2005

the pic i posted is NOT a burial mound it is a burnt rock midan which is a trash mound!!! i dont know of any burial mounds near me. midans are composed of squarish burnt stone that the natives used to cook on. also if the midan was a point manufacturing spot then lots of knapped chips, some points etc. depending on how long a tribe was in an area is usually how big the midan is..
searcher

Wild Boulder Bill · Jun 3, 2005

You guys are in a different area than I am so I pass to your knowledge. So let me clarify. In the midwest all the mounds I dug with the archeology teams were burial mounds. All the points and trash were not in mounds, But that was the midwest. Also a lot of times you may be in a burial mound and not know it. You have to shave layering in a pit to see it. There is not always a presence of bone.

searcher · Jun 3, 2005

of all the burial sites that i even remotely know about they are not in open areas!! they are usually in caves, under overhangs, undercliffs,etc... the reaserch that i have done indicates the tribes that inhabited this area never buried their dead in these types of mounds. that would be a disgrace to be buried under trash!!!
i understand in the northeast and further west the tribes were different about mounds. correct me if i'm wrong, these mounds weren't made of caste off waste material, but usually earth and/or unused rocks...
searcher

Wild Boulder Bill · Jun 4, 2005

Searcher You are quite right in most respects. In Oklahoma they carried rocks to the mound from miles away hte size of which were mind boggling. But on every mound I was on there were flint chips and pottery shards on top of the mound. A couple had a tree growing out of the middle of them. I was a laborer and not a professional so I can't tell you why that is.Of Course in the praries of oklahoma you wouldn't have access to many caves. I did see a burial in Deckers Colorado that was in the side of the hill with the skeleton in a sitting position facing the upcoming sun, that was very interesting. I never did hear what date they got off of the testing. I know the apache in arizona did a lot of buring in caves. Now the ute here in Colorado Put theirs on top of poles and left them there. It's all very interesting. Well Good Luck