Digging for Relics

[Billco]

I know these aren't world class relics, but they're the first that I've found in any quantity under the surface. From time to time, I see at this forum Indian relic hunters, or would like to be relic hunters ask about digging, so I thought this might help the next person who asks. The site where I found these adjacent to a neighborhood and the only one where other people besides me actually walk - not storm through on ATV's. I've hunted it a half dozen times and never found anything but chips, flakes, a few chunks of cobble and a little bit farther than stuff, I found a arrowhead with, I think, fairly modern damage. I suspect others walk through occasionally and pick up what they see.

The site is basically a small trail where a builder is trying to develop a subdiviion. At the top of the hill of one trail there was a huge amount of chips and flakes. I took a sturdy three prong rake and raked down about 4 - 5 inches and finally so something with some size to it besides cobble. The next day brought one of the few decent rains that we've had this year and even more showed up. This is some of what I dug up. No shovel, just a rake.

 

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[muffinlvr]

dig deeper i've seen artifacts come from 15ft below the surface

 

[Billco]

Is that material chert?

Yes, its all chert. The site is about 500 feet from a chert pit, but I find a wide variety of chert types, not just what's at the pit.

dig deeper i've seen artifacts come from 15ft below the surface

Wow! That would be a bigger hole than I could get get away with. I'd be up for it though.

 

[treasureace14]

looks a bit like rocks if u ask me?

 

[creekhunter]

If they mined the flint there, you might find some preforms in the area, good luck!

 

[Billco]

looks a bit like rocks if u ask me?

Rock: hard mineral aggregate: any consolidated material consisting of more than one mineral and, sometimes, organic material, e.g. granite or limestone

Relic: old thing surviving from past: something that has survived from a long time ago, often a part of something old that has remained when the rest of it has decayed or been destroyed

Picture one is a rock. Picture two is a rock and a relic.

 

[pickaway]

Dig it all up.Youll find something there anyways thats a nice material good colors n such.

 

[Billco]

It pains me to think that there's a lot better stuff still in the ground, but its so close to a neighborhood, big digging would draw to much attention. (Everywhere else I hunt, nobody but me walks). I'll keep raking right before rains, and if houses ever start selling again, and the developer ever stars building, I'll be all over it.

 

[pickaway]

ooops Didnt even think if it were allowed to dig in your area. I know your pain well, i drive by literally thousands of acres of plowed fields where i live and cant hunt em.

 

[Pepper2004]

Very nice! I'm going to try raking.