It's really quite normal to find this much rhyolite debrie in NC, But I notice on the campsite I hunt that there are mainly flakes (no debrie), Now I know for sure its a Campsite due to the amount of Blades/Points I have found, must be in the region of 250 now. Now a quarter of a mile away on another field, which wasn't a campsite I find great deals of debrie but rarely any points, so that leads me to believe that the Indians didn't used to actually clutter the campsites with great deals of debrie/spalls, they obviously went off near the site & roughly made performs & such, then sat in the actually campsites to knap them. So Mud, I don't think you are ON a Campsite, I believe you are very close to one though. Thats why I adviced you to search a quarter of a mile around that field you are hunting.
Now we know for sure, its been proved by Archies that the rhyolite came from Morrow Mt, has I have stated before, they did exactly what they did in MUds field. Picked up the larger rocks & roughly made preforms & Scrapers,hoes etc, Then brought them back to their campsites. Then took their time knapping points,blades n such.
It seems pretty obvious that they brought largish chucks of rhyolite back & made the preforms on that field you are hunting. Not been made at the foot of the mountain (like usual), maybe your spot that was a trade area. You know Rhyolite is the main source right? If thats the case it as to have been valuable, so my guess is some Indians traded the spalls for other items. Hence, you finding field full of debrie & rarely any points.
This is just my opinion, but after long hard studying & talking to specialists I believe this account to be accurate. So Mud, check out all the area, I can assure you there is a Campsite near by. Look for higher ground, not necessarily near a creek because the creeks move over many years, so just look for the highest point & check there.
Also, I forgot to mention this before, campsites had slaughter areas near them (NOT on them), where they prepared their kill, so many blades were used, again this could be an area where they prepared their kill. Would explain all the debrie..Blades were roughly made here in NC (unlike in Texas the Caddoans made superb examples of blades), they were used n discarded freely. So lots of debrie would be needed to make them. Maybe you have blades there & can't tell.
I hope this helps you, you ever need help, send me a PM i will come out too meet you & take a look around. Also bring with me what I have found in this Campsite.
Good Luck my friend, look fowards to seeing what you find, keep looking, its really a good idea to pick everything up, so you don't keep picking the same peices up time after time, I learnt that..
Bill, I can't tell if that is rhyolite, I would have to see a closer, clearer pic, before I could & would say for sure. I can send you some, you could compare it to yours if you like? OR you send me some.I personally would have thought AL would have better materials you being near to Miss,GA & FLA.
Mud, I will put together a post of blades, so you can see what you should be looking for, maybe this might help, I think possibly you have quite a few scrapers there, but they would show flaking.
It's not really easy for me to teach or explain, I'm no teacher, however I could come out & help you look over the site.
HH. Molly.
