Look, Real Paleo Artifacts

[The Grim Reaper]

Some real artifacts for your perusal. All of the Tools are personal finds from a known Clovis site in my area. Two small Points and one Blade is from the same site. I have witnessed two Clovis found on this site. The other pieces are from surrounding fields.

 

[Tnmountains]

Very nice. Always like seeing the unifaced items with wear. Is that crescent unifacial as well?

 

[BenjaminE]

Nice!

What perplexes me about the Gilcrease collection is that so many of them look like "bayonets". It seems to me that a random sample would show more variation. But, maybe they were heavily cherry picked. I don't know... Your collection looks more like a sample of regular artifacts as seen from a paleo site, though.

Thanks!

 

[ToddsPoint]

I've always heard the paleos didn't use much Flintridge material. How much do you have? I see a lot of tan material that I don't recognize. What is it? Super collection. Good paleo sites are rare in the extreme. Also, do you have any paleo material that was heated/glossy and used on purpose that way? I always hear paleos never heat treated, but never say never. Gary

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Very nice. Always like seeing the unifaced items with wear. Is that crescent unifacial as well?

Yes it is.

 

[sandchip]

Good stuff, Grim. Thanks for sharing with us.

 

[filmiracl]

...and all of tools (not the points) look like stuff from my woodland site! A good example of "it's all about context" when finding stuff. I never did understand how someone will find a small blade or something and jump to paleo because it appears to have been made via blade core technology... If you're finding them with paleo stuff, it's probably paleo... If you're finding them with woodland, it's probably woodland.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Thanks everyone. Appreciate the comments.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

...and all of tools (not the points) look like stuff from my woodland site! A good example of "it's all about context" when finding stuff. I never did understand how someone will find a small blade or something and jump to paleo because it appears to have been made via blade core technology... If you're finding them with paleo stuff, it's probably paleo... If you're finding them with woodland, it's probably woodland.

I guess I should have been a little clearer. This site is one of the few in my area that is definitely Paleo related since there have Clovis found there. I have seen two found and heard if others, plus I have a couple small exhausted ones. But, this sits also produces Archaic and some Early Woodland pieces as well so some of these could be from later cultures. It is all from the same field except some of the Points and Blades.

 

[reuellis]

Then how do you know these pieces exhibited are paleo?

 

[Tnmountains]

Then how do you know these pieces exhibited are paleo?

You can't like he said. But most are likely due to style and context. Not unusual to see a good multi occupational site and have paleo mixed in.

 

[oxbowbarefoot]

Great assemblage! Looks great he variety in that tool kit.

 

[joshuaream]

Then how do you know these pieces exhibited are paleo?

Several of the pieces have little features that indicate Paleo. (Google Paleo End Scraper for a good look at a classic tool that is strongly associated with paleo camps.) A couple are indeed too generic to identify from a random field, but when found in a field with early relics at least have a potential for being old.

 

[tamrock]

Awesome collection

 

[filmiracl]

Haha, sorry, I didn't want to introduce controversy... If the site's predominantly paleo, it's safe to assume they're "probably" paleo. I was just noting how many of the tools are identical to the woodland stuff I find. Some people (not you... I mean in general) are quick to jump on things being paleo based on how they look. Again, not questioning your finds... just was pointing out the similarity to stuff I find that is many thousands of years later.

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very nice collection and display, thank you for sharing!

 

[Kray Gelder]

Wow. Great collection and nice display Grim! And that beauty of a Clovis! This display was much needed here, especially recently with the spate of NA artifact troll jackals. I notice their conspicuous absence on this thread. Thanks!

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Haha, sorry, I didn't want to introduce controversy... If the site's predominantly paleo, it's safe to assume they're "probably" paleo. I was just noting how many of the tools are identical to the woodland stuff I find. Some people (not you... I mean in general) are quick to jump on things being paleo based on how they look. Again, not questioning your finds... just was pointing out the similarity to stuff I find that is many thousands of years later.

No need for apologies. I should have been a little clearer. In my area of southern Ohio along the Ohio River there are multicomponent sites everywhere. Two the Ft Ancient sites I hunted for years gave up both a Clovis on one and a Killer Thebes on the other when they plowed deep. I have a couple Ft Ancient Village site trays that have Archaic Points I found on site in them. If it was a good site for a camp or a Village it was used over and over.

Like Joshua said, some of these are classic Paleo Endscrapers and Tools. They were all found within 50 or so feet of where my two Clovis came from so most likely associated will a kill and butcher. This field isn't real big and the rest of the tools came from within a couple hundred feet of the others. The main thing is every Tool in here is from the same site so their likelyhood of being Paleo is good considering the ones that surely are.

Hope that hat helps and thanks for the question. Without questions we have no exchange of knowledge and ideas.