First point of the year, found in a ridiculous spot lol

[IAMZIM]

Why do I say this is a ridiculous spot to find a point? Well, because the last place I ever expected to find a point was on a slope so steep I could barely stand on it lol! I was making my way to the top of this mountain hunting elk sheds, and ended up sliding down a few feet, on a steep talas slope, and there it was right near my face haha! I don't know what type, I'm thinking maybe a side notch, if so, the ears are busted off. I'm pretty positive it's basalt, with a cool looking whitish patina. I'll take it!

 

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[Jon Stewart]

Must have taken a shot at something

 

[old digger]

That's a super find, but I think that that base is all there. We get a lot more erosion here out west than other paces, and I have found points in camp sites that have eroded down to a slope in that area of my hunt. It is a possibility that other than lost during a hunt it may have eroded down from a camp or lookout point. But, that's what I have always told others, you never know where you're going to find a point. A lot of times when I am hunting around cedars or sagebrush it pays to search around the bases of the brush where after a rain it will expose some good artifacts.

 

[dognose]

Nice find. I like the color.

I used to hunt the Ozark foot hills and there was a few location where I found relics right on top of the ground like that. The hillsides was steep enough they did not hold leaves. Some of them were not very large.

Depending on the field conditions I hunted the hillsides every few years. Old locations where relics were found sometimes had some, but often I had more luck searching new hillside locations.

In another I would hunt bottles when the relic hunting was slow due to ground conditions. In that area I was finding very old bottles right on top where they were thrown from the farm at the top of the hill. My best day there I found 32 complete bottles on the slopes.

 

[Tdog]

It looks like it is a stemmed point to me as the base looks mostly intact. Good save.

 

[PaleIO]

Finding something in a location like this just makes me wonder how it ended up in such a steep rugged place. I like to ponder the possibilities....hope you found some elk drops also!!

 

[antmike915]

Nice find, love the material.

 

[diggingthe1]

I think someone dropped it when they slipped also. I have found a few similar shaped ones. This, to me, seems like a well made point, not to easily broken.

 

[joshuaream]

That's cool. It's awesome to accidentally find a nice point! I think OldDigger might be right, it could have eroded down from a camp up hill.

High and sort High altitude archaeology is an open frontier in many areas of the west. Fur trappers, traders, Lewis & Clark, etc. didn't see or hear of much activity way up, and maybe in the 1800's not many groups used those high altitude resources, but there is a lot evidence that ancient man seasonally used the bounty that is available a couple of miles up the in the mountains. Lots of types of plants with bulbs, little mammals, sheep, goats, bears, fish, fresh water in dry areas, etc.

One of the Archaeological surveys in Wyoming found several small rock blinds and tools above 13,000 feet in the Wind River Range, and there is a pretty decent quarry and site near the Titcomb lakes which is right around 10,000 feet.

 

[IAMZIM]

Finding something in a location like this just makes me wonder how it ended up in such a steep rugged place. I like to ponder the possibilities....hope you found some elk drops also!!

I did not find any sheds. There was elk sign everywhere, BUT I think it is only recent, so I don't think they wintered here. I wonder if it was a point that actually fell out of the intended prey, elk will go up incredibly steep terrain, I do d it VERY hard to believe that any human would attempt to hu
nt such steep terrain, rather....I believe it was "carried" up this steep terrain by the prey, and either "fell" out of the wound, or... The animal died on this steep hill. I have hunted elk for 30 years of my life, and in my own personal experience, even a mortally wounded elk can climb to incredible altitude, my opinion, and that is all it is....is this elk, or deer, or whatever prey, was wounded with this point at a lower "flatter" altitude, and carried this point up this steep slope and expired......or escaped. Who can ever really know!?! I still was floored by the find!

 

[IAMZIM]

That's cool. It's awesome to accidentally find a nice point! I think OldDigger might be right, it could have eroded down from a camp up hill.

High and sort High altitude archaeology is an open frontier in many areas of the west. Fur trappers, traders, Lewis & Clark, etc. didn't see or hear of much activity way up, and maybe in the 1800's not many groups used those high altitude resources, but there is a lot evidence that ancient man seasonally used the bounty that is available a couple of miles up the in the mountains. Lots of types of plants with bulbs, little mammals, sheep, goats, bears, fish, fresh water in dry areas, etc.

One of the Archaeological surveys in Wyoming found several small rock blinds and tools above 13,000 feet in the Wind River Range, and there is a pretty decent quarry and site near the Titcomb lakes which is right around 10,000 feet.

I agree and totally respect what you present, BUT knowing this terrain, I think any camp would have been at a lower altitude than where I found this. According to the GPS on my phone, (even though I don't fully trust a phone) I found this at about 7800 ft. It is directly on the known elk migration route in my area, a month ago, there was over 7 feet of snow in this spot, and definitely no wintering elk. IF there were a camp up above on top of the mountain, it would definitely have been very temporary, the snow depth wouldn't be feasible for a camp,at least a permanent one....historically though, there were many camps IE tribes that lived in the valleys of these canyons, so....I strongly feel it was physically "carried" up this steep slope. But again, I'll say I am by no means amy kind of expert on these things, so you could also be right, question is...If they had a camp at such high altitude...where was it?!?!Btw, I have definitely been following these very high altitude discoveries you reference, and I find them fascinating!

 

[joshuaream]

II think any camp would have been at a lower altitude than where I found this. According to the GPS on my phone, (even though I don't fully trust a phone) I found this at about 7800 ft.

Sorry, you know your area far better than I do, I was just commenting that camps can be surprisingly high. Some mountains hide a lot of neat terrain (benches, basins, glacial cirques, lakes, etc.) above the valley, and some just dome out without much above for sites.

When I lived in Missoula I hunted creeks and some lower altitude sites that were usually pretty picked over, if I knew then what I know now, I'd have spent a lot more time in the summers above the tree line. (Actually, I probably would have driven down into the Great Basin more... But at least a mix of both.)

All good, I enjoy seeing your Montana finds!

 

[old digger]

I personally have found habitation sites above 8000 ft. There are Big Horn sheep traps that I have seen at these heights, also I have found what is still left of pole shelters. The historic and pre historic Indians hunted these higher elevations due to the fact that sheep, buffalo, elk, and deer sought the abundant grasses that grew after the snow melt off, and there were less flies and gnats to contend with due to the cooler temperatures. I have found weathered buffalo horns from the base of the mountains to clear to the top. I have heard that artifacts have been found clear up above the tree line.

 

[old digger]

IAMZIM, You would be surprised at what you just may find if you went a little higher. Also depending on how much snow fall there was, elk will winter low enough that they can still go through the snow without to much trouble. Check where the aspens meet the pines.

 

[IAMZIM]

Joshua, you and olddigger may be right! I think I may still have a lot to learn about my area! Thanks!

 

[sandchip]

Very nice point, worth getting a little scraped up for! Great pictures, too.