I made it back to the rock shelter today.

[bci101tractors]

Hey,
Some have been asking if I have been back to the shelter, made it over there today for a while. I'm still digging in the same hole mainly because the ground is still frozen. I didn't find any more points today. I'm probably 12-14 inches down in that same spot. A lot of bone, a lot of charcoal, 2 more pottery pieces, a couple shell pieces, teeth, flint chips...
I was wondering if anyone could tell me what that skull is? I was thinking muskrat?
Also wondering about that triangular bone piece, it has small cuts along the edges and looks like it had a purpose??
Any ideas or comments are greatly appreciated.
Thanks for looking!!

 

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[Tnmountains]

Cool. The stuff is preserved very well. I am unsure on the bone thought maybe a section of an animals lower mandible but looking at a european mount of a deer in my office it may be the section below the eye and upper jaw of a deer. Also the section behind the ears on a lot of mammals is very hard and preserves well. Does not look human and that is good as it looks like you are in a food processing and cooking area. That site will just get better and better. Any luck on the reports from the other sites?
Glad you got out. You are going to fill this place up with your discoveries this summer.

 

[bci101tractors]

Thanks TN,I hope your right. I have not tried any of the other sites yet, this one gets the most sun and is probably the only one not completly froze up.
Any thoughts on that triangular piece?? It looks like bone, but it is solid in the middle and with those marks on it, it must have been used for something??
Thanks again

Cool. The stuff is preserved very well. I am unsure on the bone thought maybe a section of an animals lower mandible but looking at a european mount of a deer in my office it may be the section below the eye and upper jaw of a deer. Also the section behind the ears on a lot of mammals is very hard and preserves well. Does not look human and that is good as it looks like you are in a food processing and cooking area. That site will just get better and better. Any luck on the reports from the other sites?
Glad you got out. You are going to fill this place up with your discoveries this summer.

 

[GatorBoy]

You will find some great stuff in and around that big shelter I'm sure. My thought on the triangular bone is that it has been chewed by a rodent at some point. They work their way around a piece like that. I have one that is totaly worked over by some furry little guy...also see a couple deer teeth.

 

[releventchair]

Great that you were on site again. No help from me on id.s but happy for you.

 

[bci101tractors]

Thanks gator, Ya, I agree with you, it just seemed odd how the marks were so equally laid out, triangular to a point and solid? I also never noticed any marks on any of the other bone?
Thanks again and thanks for looking.

You will find some great stuff in and around that big shelter I'm sure. My thought on the triangular bone is that it has been chewed by a rodent at some point. They work their way around a piece like that. I have one that is totaly worked over by some furry little guy...also see a couple deer teeth.

View attachment 747309

 

[GatorBoy]

Your welcome... if you think the partially frozen ground may cause you to turn over soil and not be sure you got to view everything in it you may want to wait a little longer. I'm pretty sure you have it figured out..it seems like you are doing a very good job in the conditions.

 

[bci101tractors]

Your welcome... if you think the partially frozen ground may cause you to turn over soil and not be sure you got to view everything in it you may want to wait a little longer. I'm pretty sure you have it figured out..it seems like you are doing a very good job in the conditions.

Ya thanks again gator, what Im digging now is pretty much the sand right along the wall and it slowly tapers to soil a couple feet out. I did uncover what looks to be a large scapula(deer?) that might have been with the bone in the pics from today, I uncovered a couple inches, but the rest was locked in frozen ground so I just left it for next time. I didn't want to break it, just in case.
How important do you think it is to keep all the charcoal I find? I think its pretty cool, but its kind of a pain to sort everything. I was thinking of keeping samples from different depths and locations?

 

[rock]

Id like to see a close up of pic #9 the one with the tip. Looks like a tool.

 

[GatorBoy]

Ya thanks again gator, what Im digging now is pretty much the sand right along the wall and it slowly tapers to soil a couple feet out. I did uncover what looks to be a large scapula(deer?) that might have been with the bone in the pics from today, I uncovered a couple inches, but the rest was locked in frozen ground so I just left it for next time. I didn't want to break it, just in case.
How important do you think it is to keep all the charcoal I find? I think its pretty cool, but its kind of a pain to sort everything. I was thinking of keeping samples from different depths and locations?

Personally I would leave the charcoal ..burnt bone..and things like that in a tailings pile outside the shelter. Preferably in a spot you don't plan on diging real soon. The rest of course is up to you.. I think it's a good idea to keep a couple examples of the types of food that was eaten by the locals. But once the ground thaws.. you will see pretty quickly that you don't want to bring all of that in your house. ... also... if you come across some bone pieces that you really want to keep I suggest soaking them in a mixture of Elmer's glue and water. That's the cheapest easiest way to preserve bone. The conditions that preserved them to this point no longer exist and they are getting a lot more oxygen now.. most times they don't last very long unless they are stabilized some way.

 

[bci101tractors]

Thanks for looking Rock, I hope these pics are better than the last ones. Might be hard to see what I was looking at from the pics?
Thanks again

Id like to see a close up of pic #9 the one with the tip. Looks like a tool.

 

[rock]

No the flat one kinda white or grey.

 

[GatorBoy]

I agree.. the rounded piece looks like a broken blade.

 

[GatorBoy]

Is that shell or stone?

 

[bci101tractors]

SORRY ABOUT THAT, THAT WAS SHELL.

 

[old digger]

Thanks for looking Rock, I hope these pics are better than the last ones. Might be hard to see what I was looking at from the pics?
Thanks again View attachment 747456 View attachment 747457 View attachment 747458 View attachment 747459 View attachment 747460

This bone that you found is from a deer and is called a ''coffin bone'', it is located at the very end of the foot, and is literally the toe bone of a deer.

 

[bci101tractors]

Thanks Old Digger,
I think you nailed it. I was very puzzled, thank you so much. Great diagram, never even knew that bone existed.
Thanks again,
BCI

 

[Tnmountains]

I kept thinking about the teeth and it was bugging me and was looking at my bob cat. I think the other bone may be a section of the lower jaw of a bob cat. I thought deer but was wrong. See what you think?

 

[bci101tractors]

Thanks TN,
I posted some more pics on a new post. I am very interested in what was butchered/eaten and really appreciate all you help. Right next to the bone you were inquiring about, there was another large bone that looked like it went with it, but the ground right there was frozen and I just left it for later. I can see similarities from your bobcat, I'm thinking when the other piece can be dug we will know for sure.
Thanks again, BCI

I kept thinking about the teeth and it was bugging me and was looking at my bob cat. I think the other bone may be a section of the lower jaw of a bob cat. I thought deer but was wrong. See what you think?

View attachment 749326

 

[kuger]

Ah,Old digger ya beat me!!!