Charred Stuff

[Huzzah!]

Really have no clue what this stuff is, but I found it at what I?m calling a campsite due to the pieces of pottery and four points I?ve found there along with many chips and flakes, of course. Everything here is very light even for its size which led me to think that what is left over is mostly carbon. The pieces to the right of the dime I initially thought were burnt pottery, but such isn?t the case?maybe coal? The pieces to the left of the dime aren?t the same texture but are still light for their sizes. The bigger rounded piece I?m thinking may be fired clay and the smaller piece of the three to the left I think is charred bone?did not scratch off on my nail when I tried like I would expect charred wood to. All comments appreciated.

 

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[ToddsPoint]

Fire cracked rock is one of the things found regularly at the more permanent campsites. They heated rocks in the fire then dropped them into a clay pot of water to get the water hot for cooking. After heating and quenching many times they crack and the remains are all over the camp sites. Small hunting camps usually don't have fire cracked rock. No women there. Gary

 

[Huzzah!]

Thanks for the input Gary. We find a decent bit of fire-cracked rock and also pieces of heat-treated material at this place. I’d post a pic but I don’t have one. We have dug test holes here and have found pieces of charcoal but never enough to definitely say it was native related like a fire pit. Plow zone here is about 18” and so far no fire pits! We are going to find one one day.

 

[dirstscratcher]

If the plow zone is 18" deep, the hearths may be all plowed out, depending on how much soil has been deposited in recent centuries. There may be a storage/trash pit or two that are deeper, but finding them without stripping the plow zone will be pure luck.

 

[Huzzah!]

Oh yeah I fully agree—and because of that fact removing those 18” is just what we have to do. Need to get my manual auger out and do some “drilling”.

 

[Older The Better]

Id agree it’s rock. I’d say the little reflective flecks rule out bone. I’m leaning towards a sandstone. Other consideration was burned earth or daub but usually that stuff has a pretty irregular form. Doesn’t really look right for pottery and a sand temper

 

[Huzzah!]

Older—just to clarify—we are talking about the piece in the lower left, correct? I don’t think anything else here is bone other than that one. I’ve cleaned it with a toothbrush and the silt is really in there, so I think I may just bust it open for a fresh face. It may be nothing, but I’m just surprised at how little it weighs. Thanks for the input man!

 

[Tdog]

Older—just to clarify—we are talking about the piece in the lower left, correct? I don’t think anything else here is bone other than that one. I’ve cleaned it with a toothbrush and the silt is really in there, so I think I may just bust it open for a fresh face. It may be nothing, but I’m just surprised at how little it weighs. Thanks for the input man!

If you're hesitant about busting it, you may want to saw a small piece off with a dremel tool or reciprocating saw (jig saw) so as not to totally destroy it.

 

[Huzzah!]

If you're hesitant about busting it, you may want to saw a small piece off with a dremel tool or reciprocating saw (jig saw) so as not to totally destroy it.

Hammer and fine, sharp chisel. Wish me luck. If it goes well I'll post again...otherwise I'll just pretend I haven't gotten around to it--ha!

 

[Older The Better]

It’s tough with pictures, I see a consistent sparkle on all but that long piece I assume they are small crystals in what would have to be stone or burned earth.
As far as a test you can always check with your tongue supposed to be if it sticks it’s bone if not stone

 

[dirstscratcher]

The white specs could be feldspar granules in sandstone. It's pretty common in grit tempered pottery from the 12'th century here in N. Ohio.

 

[Huzzah!]

Older, I’m not sure if you’re trying to pull one over on me, but I’ll try anything twice. Both the supposed charred “bone” and the stone briefly stuck to my tongue. I’m guessing they both did because they weigh so little and it didn’t take much for the moisture of my tongue to keep them there. That said, I did bust the “bone” open and couldn’t tell you any more now than I could before. Checking out examples of charred bone to compare.

 

[Older The Better]

Nope that’s a field test if you’re unsure I thought maybe worth a shot if you didn’t want to damage it. If it helps here’s bone from a site that shows varying degrees of burning. No human if anyone is wondering more like kitchen trash, deer, Buffalo, lots of turtle, beaver, squirrel, catfish, gar, mussel shells

 

[Huzzah!]

Thanks Older—appreciate the upload. I’m not sure if the photo I uploaded in my last post shows it, but the interior of that piece is a dark gray with no distinguishable characteristics like marrow although I’d think the marrow would get burned out, so I may have just answered my question. Thanks