✅ SOLVED Newbies: The Big Idea and the Mental Gallery

[tomclark]

If you are brought into this "hobby" by another collector there is usually an "Aha!" moment when you get the Big Idea what human work looks/feels like on an artifact as opposed to Nature's rock. It took me ONE time to see and feel what is very obvious on most artifacts. Nobody will tell you it's hard.

After you get that first real experience you will continue to gain knowledge both in the hole/field/creek, on these forums and amongst other local collectors. It is very easy to see and feel this. Preconceived notions about what you think artifacts or parts of artifacts look like may not be correct at all. You can only make it up if you don't really see and feel it. Deliberate flaking/knapping can always be seen as opposed to none or nature's work.

Don't take the preponderance of advice on the forums about a find you don't know anything about except shape and finger holds? Problematic. Get back on track and learn. It's not impossible to learn this through the forums and pics, but if you can get the full esperience in hand, with eyes, then that FIRST lesson is over and it's full on from there.

When you see pics of finds and in your research see more pics of local finds, plus seeing other locals' collections...this builds up a Mental Gallery of pics that when you see it your brain will identify it. Your brain will eventually even pick out tiny PARTS exposed of materials and artifacts, amongst all kinds of distractions. The bigger the mental gallery, the more finds you will find, IMHOP. I've gone out saying I'm going to find say, a plummet, and found exactly that same artifact. That's the other thing...keeping the mind focused on search. Many of us who have collected for many years can walk the same field in others' bootprints and find goodies. We can see in a pile of shells or a scatter of chips or gravel bar or even what the soil looks like or the plants that grow on it....an artifact amongst what would be an insurmountable sensory overload problem for a newbie.

Keep looking at pics, take/ask advice, go hunting, go hunting, go hunting. Drill holes, drill holes, drill holes! The more you hunt the more you find and learn, period. Get your Gallery built up. You'll see what I mean if you keep at it.
Ever play a video game? Takes longer to master one than finding an artifact. PS don't start knapping.
This should be marked solved already, LOL.

 

[Flatwoods88]

Very true words, if you go into say a creek with just a point in mind you'll miss all kinds of goodies, keep the mind open is what I tell my girlfriend, for example this clay molded pipe I found, at first glance in the creek I thought broken PVC pipe but checked it out any way, not an indian artifact but something you wouldn't wanna pass up.

 

[kansa54]

Very true words, if you go into say a creek with just a point in mind you'll miss all kinds of goodies, keep the mind open is what I tell my girlfriend, for example this clay molded pipe I found, at first glance in the creek I thought broken PVC pipe but checked it out any way, not an indian artifact but something you wouldn't wanna pass up.

How do you know it's not an Indian artifact? They used those type of pipes a lot. A common trade item.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

How do you know it's not an Indian artifact? They used those type of pipes a lot. A common trade item.

While those Tavern Pipes may be a Indian artifact by virtue of them sometimes being acquired and used by the Native Americans, they are not an Indian artifact in the sense of something they made themselves.

 

[kansa54]

While those Tavern Pipes may be a Indian artifact by virtue of them sometimes being acquired and used by the Native Americans, they are not an Indian artifact in the sense of something they made themselves.

You are correct, I should have said Indian trade relic.

 

[Flatwoods88]

How do you know it's not an Indian artifact? They used those type of pipes a lot. A common trade item.

All I find around and in that creek is much older artifacts, that pipe is early to mid 1800s, could have been in an Indians hands I guess but not likely.

 

[Tnmountains]

Good article Tom. Well thought out. It is true that once you start seeing and recognizing the remnants or debri you will see it everywhere. I have seen when people have what you cal the great "A-Ha'' moment and after that they were nailing them. Like deer hunting you learn shapes like an ear or the back leg or a certain line and there is the deer. Get out and look and go first where artifacts have been found in the past.
Thanks that is some good advice when you are starting out.
HH
TnMtns

 

[painterx7]

I remember my first A-HA lol thanks good read

 

[old digger]

Out here with so much ground to cover along with the different materials, and a wide range of point types it pays to go slow and look carefully. I was once told that the red colored points and material are somewhat harder to pick out by men than by women. I know that I have to mentally look for those red points. It also helps to see the sun shine/flicker on that TRSS material.

 

[painterx7]

Oh yeah the position of the sun helps me big time the afternoon sun tends to bring me more artifacts than the morning to noon sun I thought it was just me lol

 

[Tnmountains]

If you are not flipping and tapping you are not hunting it seems. Flint has a distinct click when tapped. Impossible to hunt land with out a flipping stick.

 

[larson1951]

If you are brought into this "hobby" by another collector there is usually an "Aha!" moment when you get the Big Idea what human work looks/feels like on an artifact as opposed to Nature's rock. It took me ONE time to see and feel what is very obvious on most artifacts. Nobody will tell you it's hard.

After you get that first real experience you will continue to gain knowledge both in the hole/field/creek, on these forums and amongst other local collectors. It is very easy to see and feel this. Preconceived notions about what you think artifacts or parts of artifacts look like may not be correct at all. You can only make it up if you don't really see and feel it. Deliberate flaking/knapping can always be seen as opposed to none or nature's work.

Don't take the preponderance of advice on the forums about a find you don't know anything about except shape and finger holds? Problematic. Get back on track and learn. It's not impossible to learn this through the forums and pics, but if you can get the full esperience in hand, with eyes, then that FIRST lesson is over and it's full on from there.

When you see pics of finds and in your research see more pics of local finds, plus seeing other locals' collections...this builds up a Mental Gallery of pics that when you see it your brain will identify it. Your brain will eventually even pick out tiny PARTS exposed of materials and artifacts, amongst all kinds of distractions. The bigger the mental gallery, the more finds you will find, IMHOP. I've gone out saying I'm going to find say, a plummet, and found exactly that same artifact. That's the other thing...keeping the mind focused on search. Many of us who have collected for many years can walk the same field in others' bootprints and find goodies. We can see in a pile of shells or a scatter of chips or gravel bar or even what the soil looks like or the plants that grow on it....an artifact amongst what would be an insurmountable sensory overload problem for a newbie.

Keep looking at pics, take/ask advice, go hunting, go hunting, go hunting. Drill holes, drill holes, drill holes! The more you hunt the more you find and learn, period. Get your Gallery built up. You'll see what I mean if you keep at it.
Ever play a video game? Takes longer to master one than finding an artifact. PS don't start knapping.
This should be marked solved already, LOL.

OK Tom i will mark this "Solved" for you .....lol

If you are not flipping and tapping you are not hunting it seems. Flint has a distinct click when tapped. Impossible to hunt land with out a flipping stick.

Agreed