Heres the oldest items on T-net!

[Slipperyjack47]

I have'nt been posting much on here as I have started a new job and the weather has been so dry here that detecting has been about impossible. We finally got some rain and I had a day off so a friend of mine and I decided to try out a couple of new spots today. The first place we hit produced tons of clad and I did manage a 1898 Indianhead penny. After about a good 2 to 3 hours of hard hunting we decided to try another area. Upon arriving we split up and headed in opposite directions to cover more area quickly, I guess I turned the right way and it was'nt long before I had a deep copper tone singing through my explorer. After a pretty deep digging session out comes a perfect example of a prehistoric copper artifact......a wonderful awl! Its squared on the edges and sharply pointed on each end, man was I excited! After a few minutes of holding it and admiring its beautiful patina thinking it had been maybe 6000 years since a human had touched it I started back swinging. I did'nt go ten feet and another deep copper hit came whistling through my SunRay headphones, again another deep and careful digging session that produces yet anothe 6000 year old copper item, this time a punch! Its beautiful curved lines and perfect diameter makes me wonder in amazement how these ancient people made something so perfect with such crude tools. I hope you all enjoy the pics, I wish you could hold these items in your hand as it really makes you appreciate the wonderful pieces of art they truly are!


HH
Slipperyjack47

 

[Tank69]

very cool wtg banner for sure

 

[deepbeep]

Is this the same thing as a "preasure knapper"? That is what it looks like to me, but I don't really know, just asking.


Tim

 

[zaxfire69]

Slippery Jack. I want to thank you for making me feel like throwing up. After looking at your pictures of your artifacts I am sick at my stomach. I know for a fact I have found at least 3-5 of those same artifacts here in Natchez, Ms... Yall don't laugh at me, but I thought they were some sort of copper roofing. Unfortunatly you guys know where they went as well. Now that I know what they are I will keep the next one I find.

 

[goldnow]

EXCELLENT!! I voted Banner because it's Real Human Tool History. Sometimes we forget how we ended up with an MD in our hands and these type artifacts are the original building blocks of our technical modern society (for good and bad). Would love to know the depth you had to dig for them.

 

[Slipperyjack47]

EXCELLENT!! I voted Banner because it's Real Human Tool History. Sometimes we forget how we ended up with an MD in our hands and these type artifacts are the original building blocks of our technical modern society (for good and bad). Would love to know the depth you had to dig for them.

Thanks alot to all the banner votes, these artifacts are a true treasure for sure!! I dug these at about 10 to 12 inches in depth, I assume that maybe there are many more in the area that I just can't reach with a normal detector. I plan on hunting the area much harder once fall comes and knocks down some of the heavy vegatation. I wish all fellow T-netters could have the privalge of hunting and holding something of this age in thier hands.........its truly awesome!


Slipperyjack47

 

[goldnow]

Thanks for your reply.

"I dug these at about 10 to 12 inches in depth,..."

The reason I asked about depth is because I am looking at a dry lake bed to MD in Italy....It dried out a 1000 years ago, as I have been told so far. The area might have 10,000 years of habitation, if not more. The river still runs through the flat valley and then meanders against the mountain. Hannibal walked along the edge of the then existing lake with his elephants towards the South. I am hoping for ancient tools, like yours, along the edges if I can rediscover them.

The "soil" is more gravel than dirt, so I wonder if artifacts would be at a lower or a higher levels than in real dirt.

I hit a lot of WWII rusties around here but have no love for them. I like what you found. Something real and not made in a factory. Coins, etc., are the exception, of course.

 

[CRUSADER]

Great items & well discovered

What I would like to know is why do you think that they are 4000BC? The date range in your area is from 4000BC-1000BC.

 

[slimpickens]

Banner for sure, I have hunted indian artifacts for forty years and have never found a cooper pc.wtg. great find

 

[Wallhangers]

Crusader and others, here is a page googled that gives a little history dating way back and includes some examples of the tools they used in the copper culture.
http://copperculture.homestead.com/

Why has this not made banner yet

 

[Tnmountains]

Great finds. Have you guys found much or many copper culture items in your area before? I am like everyone else unless you knew what it was would not have given it a second thought. Imagine a copper celt hammered out. Amazing. Nice find.
I think that fossil section has us all beat on oldest items on T-Net
TnMountains

 

[Slipperyjack47]

Great finds. Have you guys found much or many copper culture items in your area before? I am like everyone else unless you knew what it was would not have given it a second thought. Imagine a copper celt hammered out. Amazing. Nice find.
I think that fossil section has us all beat on oldest items on T-Net
TnMountains

Yeah your right TnMountains, the fossils are much older I was thinking more man-made type things. This area here in northern Wisconsin and Northern Michigan is the main area where these copper items can be found. They have been found in several places other than this, but this is where they are found in the heaviest concentrations. earlier this year I found a 3 inch conical spear point which was my first copper culture find. I have heard of some detectorist that have found the camps of these people before and found dozens of these pieces and would amaze us all on the different things that they could make with this copper and crude tools. If you google copperculture.com it has an awesome site showing dozens of photos and alot of information on these incredible people. I am so new at finding these items I can only go by what these experts say. I hope this helps others also in learning more about this fasinating piece of our history.


HH
Slipperyjack47

 

[DaveP.]

Awesome Find!!! Congrats and banner are in order here!!

Dave

 

[CRUSADER]

Crusader and others, here is a page googled that gives a little history dating way back and includes some examples of the tools they used in the copper culture.
http://copperculture.homestead.com/

Why has this not made banner yet

I see, so there is some debate over the Copper Age.

 

[Wallhangers]

Crusader and others, here is a page googled that gives a little history dating way back and includes some examples of the tools they used in the copper culture.
http://copperculture.homestead.com/

Why has this not made banner yet

I see, so there is some debate over the Copper Age.

There is always debate when it comes to the conclusions they get from carbon-dating. Unfortunately they never felt it necessary to scratch a date into their tools. Their "aim" was to provide food for their families. One thing is certain, no matter what the specific date is on these, they are some of the "oldest" items dug on here with a metal detector. From what I read, there is a possibility that they are possibly even older than what Jack suggested! Maybe someday they will be able to carbon-date these more accurately. I have an arrowhead collection but have yet to find any copper artifacts. Hopefully someday.

 

[Michiganne]

Wow, very nice Jack! I'm glad to see you're still pulling out the good stuff.
You got my vote.

Keep digging!

 

[robfinds]

By any standards those are massive finds.

 

[Slipperyjack47]

Wow, very nice Jack! I'm glad to see you're still pulling out the good stuff.
You got my vote.

Keep digging!
[/quote

Thanks Anne! I appreciate all the banner votes. These items are so prized even by the local Archies that they have banned all metal detecting on state owned land to try to stop anybody from recovering these pieces of ancient history. Luckily I have found spots on private lands where they have no say in what I can recover, now all my fellow T-netters are able to enjoy them and maybe even learn about a little known ancient culture. I am going back to the site tomarrow and hope I can unearth more to be able to show you here.

HH
Slipperyjack47

Slipperyjack47

 

[K*E*L*L*Y]

thanks for the link jack...that stuff is cool for sure!