Hidden Springs 7 - 25 - 2020

southfork · Jul 25, 2020

Its been to hot to dig but here's what has come out of the camp on our place so far . With the exception of Manos and hammer stones . N. California foothills

Tdog · Jul 25, 2020

Killin' it again I see! Basalt, quartz, obsidian, etc... Nice finds.

southfork · Jul 25, 2020

Tdog said:
Killin' it again I see! Basalt, quartz, obsidian, etc... Nice finds.

Thanks a little bit of everything the ground is real hard my son has been metal detecting and turning things over . Makes it a lot easer to screen lol He's finding broken points 50 to a 100 feet from where I'm digging it will take years .

The Grim Reaper · Jul 25, 2020

Great looking finds as always. That camp just keeps producing some very nice pieces.

welsbury · Jul 25, 2020

What is that grooved piece on far right of pic? Thanks

southfork · Jul 25, 2020

welsbury said:
What is that grooved piece on far right of pic? Thanks

A piece of burnt bird bone I thought was part of a bone bead but most likely dinner .

Buckleberry · Jul 25, 2020

Great finds, you are so fortunate in being able to find such a variety of artifacts, styles and materials/lithics from a multitude of eras. Those blue trade beads are just spectacular. Always look forward to your finds!

IMAUDIGGER · Jul 25, 2020

Are the mano’s and hammer stones considered more common or less desirable?
Personally I find them interesting since you can grasp them in the same manner that they were used in a time long lost.

Just curious why they were left out of the “haul”.
For me a hand tool is much less common than a projectile point (which seems to be what drives the views here.)

antmike915 · Jul 26, 2020

IMAUDIGGER said:
Are the mano’s and hammer stones considered more common or less desirable?
Personally I find them interesting since you can grasp them in the same manner that they were used in a time long lost.

Just curious why they were left out of the “haul”.
For me a hand tool is much less common than a projectile point (which seems to be what drives the views here.)

I guess it depends on where you look,one of my old sites I wore a backpack just for the tools,cores,scrapers ect.. and everytime I looked there I would have it filled up, sometimes I would find 1-5 points, sometimes no points. I always thought areas like that were manufacturing or kill sites.

southfork · Jul 26, 2020

IMAUDIGGER said:
Are the mano’s and hammer stones considered more common or less desirable?
Personally I find them interesting since you can grasp them in the same manner that they were used in a time long lost.

Just curious why they were left out of the “haul”.
For me a hand tool is much less common than a projectile point (which seems to be what drives the views here.)

I just didn't post photos they are a very important artifact I have hundreds . The hidden springs camp hard stone are being left around the bedrock mortars where found .

Relicgrubber · Jul 26, 2020

Nice haul Dennis! Love that rock garden setup! Congrats...

IMAUDIGGER · Jul 26, 2020

Nice!
Any verifiable Mano/Metate mates?

southfork · Jul 27, 2020

IMAUDIGGER said:
Nice!
Any verifiable Mano/Metate mates?

there's no way to verify but many are from the same camps and all from the same county . N. California foothills

Huzzah! · Jul 27, 2020

Southfork--how are you digging this site? Have you started in one area and moved outwards, or are you shovel testing here and there? From what you've mentioned previously it sounds like you have some ground to cover. Thanks for the update.

southfork · Jul 27, 2020

Huzzah! said:
Southfork--how are you digging this site? Have you started in one area and moved outwards, or are you shovel testing here and there? From what you've mentioned previously it sounds like you have some ground to cover. Thanks for the update.

I'm not sure where it starts or stops so I picked a shady spot . I will work a small section at a time my son is metal detecting the same camp because of multi use . He has turned up broken points in all directions so long and slow there's major damage to the site from mining . So there will be gold rush junk mixed in maybe some treasure . Also we found another small camp in a saddle above where we are working now .