Never Seen Anything Like It!

[OntarioArch]

This phrase most often means it's a modern reproduction or an ancient piece that has been re-chipped / re-shaped. And when looking through Old Timers' collections, even 'family' collections right off the farm, caution must be used. First thing I saw today as I opened an old collector's wooden box is a huge Grey Ghost. I passed on the last one I found, but I might...might...buy this one. They are pretty impressive. Gotta be 10 inches long and in absolutely pristine condition. Conversation piece, maybe.

But what I am really interested in is the piece shown below: I've never seen anything like it! I didn't have my microscope with me, but I believe one pic shows iron deposition. Think it's ancient? Ever seen anything like it? Thanks!

 

[ken135]

Art Gerber talked more about these cache blades in his final interview on Chasing History.
I tried to post link like I did above, but couldn't get it to load properly.

Search youtube for Chasing History Final Interview with Art Gerber

I believe it was this video that actually showed an old topo map with the location of the Crib Mound and the Hopewell Beehive Mounds. It didn't take too long to find it on GMaps.

 

[OntarioArch]

You Tube's Chasing History interview with Art Gerber is great. I wouldn't want to imply that the hornstone Hopewell Cache Blade/Quarry Blank / Preform show in this thread is from the Crib Mound, though. Truth is, from what I have been able to read in just a couple days, it could have come from any of hundreds of mounds in Ohio and adjacent areas. I am loving it more and more! Below are 1950's photos from from another YouTube: search "Crib Mound". That handsome young man is Mr. Gerber, says the video's creator. Awesome.

And just for interest, ProjectilePoints.Net says 'Indiana hornstone' has been found in Western New York. Hmmm. The artifact in question here came from a nearby western NY collector. Could certainly been traded to him. I wonder where in western NY hornstone has been found?

 

[dirstscratcher]

There are a couple of types of Hopewell cache blades.

The vast majority of them, including the bigger caches at Crib Mound are pretty simply worked disks. Not thick, not thin, occasionally with only 2 or 3 flakes on one side. Almost always 3-4 inches long, 5 inches being a huge example.

And then there are smaller caches of larger, better worked blades, usually numbering 100 or fewer pieces. Shetrone uncovered a cache of fully worked bifaces like the one you pictured. They might be an Adena influenced trait as their cache blades tend to be very well made.

I think I posted this one before. It was found several years ago in NW Ohio. Heavily patinated hornstone.