No Name key shell finds

[wetfly]

Went surface hunting near an old ferry terminal on no name key near big pine key Florida today! Here's a few of what appear to be calusa shell tools or parts of them at least ! Any help identifying them would be greatly appreciated!
I know what kind of shells they are just not sure what if anything they would have been used for!

 

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[GaRebel1861]

Wetfly,

I have no shell artifacts where I live or at least I've never found any here in SW Ga. Gatorboy will likely be the one that can tell you all about your items. Good luck

 

[GatorBoy]

Were they associated with a midden or in any kind of context? The one that appears to be sharpened to a point may be a shell drill. beyond that from the photos I don't see anything that appears to be a finished tool. All could have broken that way. Photo #6 looks like they could possibly be the non working end of broken queen conch Celts. Tough to tell by the photos.

 

[GatorBoy]

Here is several broken ones.




the color of some of those you have look like it could be midden patina.

 

[wetfly]

Thanks man! The pictures I take never seem to do my pieces justice! Some of the pieces were found near what used to be large mounds( according to keys historians) but they have been long since bulldozed! Several of them are "cut" it seems in the same places making a sharp end . I'm curious what points they would have used down here? As there is a lack of good flint close by? Up in north Carolina there isn't really a question if it is an artifact or not because of either the type of stone used and the obvious signs of being worked. I grew up in key west and have never really found anything to date that I am completely certain was an artifact. Down here it is thought that through the years, the many class 5 un- recorded hurricanes have probably washed away many of the artifacts that aren't already in a private collection!
Would love to accidentally find an underwater site but I don't think I can hold my breath that long anymore! Any ideas and or techniques for finding lost relics would be greatly appreciated and shared! I'm a salvage tug captain and get out to the tortugas and marquesas about once a month but tend to find more trash than relics! Lol. But I'll keep lookin!! Again, Thanks for the info! ------TODAY'S THE DAY!!!!

 

[wetfly]

Found a couple of what appear to be arrow shaft straightening or smoothing stones up in nc and the other pic is of what appears to me to be a face? I took a few un leaned rocks from nc this summer and just got around to cleaning them and this is what I found! It was found along with the others and a broken point in an area loaded with other lithics . Am I seeing what I want or is there a face there?? Lol thanks

 

[GatorBoy]

Yeah I think the face is just you bro..ha ha. Those other two could be shaft straighteners I suppose but I think they look more like net weights or Mabey sharpening stones. I found what looks to me like a shaft Straightener today. And a few net weights last week. See what you think for comparison.







The notch with the groove coming from it made me think net weight. As far as finding artifacts in the keys...you better get used to shell. Here is a good site with a variety of things to look at. Good luck. www.aboriginalantiquities.com

 

[wetfly]

Lol thanks man !! It's always better to have taken that rock home and clean it up rather than leave it there dirty and wonder about what might have been! Lol. Where in fla do you tend to hunt? I'm in kw but my sister lives in Boca and I try to get up there couple times a year -- never had time to explore up there--- any suggestions within an hour of Boca?? I have a cheap garret 150 that I play with from time to time as well ! Thanks again man you have been extremely helpfull!

 

[GatorBoy]

That is all farther south than I tend to go but if you read a bit on the history of the Jupiter inlet and the Johnathan Dickenson park area in Hobe sound there is alot of history there.

 

[wetfly]

Nice !! Exactly what I was looking for!

 

[GatorBoy]

Cool!! I thought that might be a good one for you. There is everything from native American history to shipwrecks there. Stay in touch. Oh! I almost forgot! There is the remains of a WWII ammunition dump near the western ranger lookout tower inside that park.