I started out heating in sand under a fire. It worked but was tricky to control. I eventually bought a used pottery kiln and reworked it to heat up to 750°. That worked well. I eventually sold it and haven’t cooked any rocks in quite some time.
Rumor in a small circle of us living history shooters had it flint was found under a firepit.
Questions lead to questions and leaving it till that site was revisited makes some sense.
And maybe dryer sand /mineral soil than a fresh spot.
Then; studying old college archeology works from multiple states varied lithics from varied schools seemed to be getting mixed in the same layer of time at times.. (?)
To confirm how little I grasp ...
A wood post wall South of me about an hours drive with a ditch one side. Ditch containing debris.
A wall for fire to reflect off? A windbreak? Both?
In the debris were multiple style lithics. 3 or more schools. A turkey tail isn't really "native" to the great lakes woodland site.
Two rivers converged. No surprise a camp existed there.
I don't recall possible group involved in the original site. As in which natives.
The 60 or so miles N. to near me involves another river and the tailout of 30 miles of rapids on it. And mounds.
Thousands of years of occupation . At least seasonally.
Multiple mound groups tied close to riverine areas and of course a convergence of some as well.
In a mound (no burial of bodies noted throughout those mounds sampled ) was a hearth. (Charcoal stain or more of a deliberate fire spot).
In the hearth was a pice of bone. Suspected deer. And 4-5 points in the same context (together not layered through time) of multiple schools of manufacture.
To my feeble ideas the mix represented a mutual agreement or theory. Allies of some sort.
Shared fish traps? Shared trade routes or trading? (A group dominated such here a bit farther North for a long time though.)
They weren't flint being heat treated. At least by the finished condition reported and not scrap/discards or broken/worn out type descriptions.( If they were being heat treated then why the mix of cultural types/schools.)
So there I sit at the river nearest. Not knowing much more than others were here a long time. l.o.l..
