Question.. What to do with mixed finds

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 14, 2011

I've been in this hobby for about a good 2 years ..For the 1st year i mixed every perfect/artifact, I found all together . Now i have finds from about 10 different areas all mixed :icon_scratch:

..My Question is when making display case(s) do you use all finds from one site,or mabe by material or tribe? ! Your thoughts would be great!

Thanks ,
Randy ....

oldgoat · Jul 15, 2011

When I first started hunting and finding artifacts, I mixed everything. As time has gone by tho, I have found that I would rather see a display with just the finds from a dig, i.e. if I dug from one ranch, I want just the pieces from that place all together, it brings out the memories better....unfortunately, I don't find perfect points everytime, but will put all the brokes and goods together and take the better pieces for display. I do save all the pieces tho, you never know when you might find pieces that match up in your brokes....a nice diversion from watching some mindless sports program in the winter months....goat

Treefrog · Jul 15, 2011

I keep all of mine in frames according to where they came from. then I mark on the back the area they came from in sharpie.
I also keep digital pics in folders as to where they were found and pics of the site in most case's. later on, on my better stuff, I am gonna attach a small envelope to the rear with a chip of all that data to the frame as well. Plus keep all my records too.
Tree

Cachefind09 · Jul 15, 2011

When I first started hunting I mixed all my finds together, that was 30 years ago when I didn't know that I would still be collecting or have obtained so many pieces. Now I display all my finds according to site. I think it's important to know where pieces are found and now I wish I knew where some were found that I have since forgotten. The only problem with displaying site finds is that its makes it hard to display types without pulling them all from your site displays and mixing them all together. You could do this but you would have to catalog each piece which would be a major job.

Twitch · Jul 15, 2011

Certainly all your finds should be cateloged by find site, date, a description of the artifact, etc. It is important I believe to ensure this information is documented. I store all my artifacts by find site. Displaying, however, is different. Many display finds by site location or by artifact type. All the Hopewell's in one case, all the Kirk's in another, etc. I display my finds by find year. At the end of each year I put together display cases with the artifacts found that year. Some years it's one case some years it five cases. I tend to recall my hunting in time rather than by site so for me it's a more effective way to group memories together.

Twitch · Jul 15, 2011

I should also say that like probably everyone else my first year cases (2) I did not record each artifact individually at the time. I went back after the fact and recorded each find location for the point and described them in my artifact catelog, but unfortunately I do not have the exact find dates recorded for some pieces for which I really wish I did.

cheese · Jul 15, 2011

I keep mine separated by find location. If I ever mixed any for display purposes, I would put a dab of whiteout on the back side and a number on each with a legend on the back of the display with the information about each point. This type of documentation is important. A point with no provenance is less interesting and worth less than the same point with documentation. Worth less historically and usually monetarily as well.

flintdigger · Jul 15, 2011

I have never hunted too many different sites due to the fact that some I was not physically able to get to, but the one's that I have hunted I keep the artifacts seperated.

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 18, 2011

oldgoat said:
When I first started hunting and finding artifacts, I mixed everything. As time has gone by tho, I have found that I would rather see a display with just the finds from a dig, i.e. if I dug from one ranch, I want just the pieces from that place all together, it brings out the memories better....unfortunately, I don't find perfect points everytime, but will put all the brokes and goods together and take the better pieces for display. I do save all the pieces tho, you never know when you might find pieces that match up in your brokes....a nice diversion from watching some mindless sports program in the winter months....goat

: I think ill put all my mixed pieces in one frame..For about a year now.. I have been keeping them organized.. Using plastic fishing containers lined with paper towels..I also keep the brokes ,Flakes ,etc in coffee cans .. Thanks goat!

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 18, 2011

Treefrog said:
I keep all of mine in frames according to where they came from. then I mark on the back the area they came from in sharpie.
I also keep digital pics in folders as to where they were found and pics of the site in most case's. later on, on my better stuff, I am gonna attach a small envelope to the rear with a chip of all that data to the frame as well. Plus keep all my records too.
Tree

Sounds like a good idea :thumbsup:

.. Thanks Tree !

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 18, 2011

Cachefind09 said:
When I first started hunting I mixed all my finds together, that was 30 years ago when I didn't know that I would still be collecting or have obtained so many pieces. Now I display all my finds according to site. I think it's important to know where pieces are found and now I wish I knew where some were found that I have since forgotten. The only problem with displaying site finds is that its makes it hard to display types without pulling them all from your site displays and mixing them all together. You could do this but you would have to catalog each piece which would be a major job.

I also think its very imporant to keep record of were they were found..And what tribe roamed that area..Thanks Cache!

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 18, 2011

Twitch said:
Certainly all your finds should be cateloged by find site, date, a description of the artifact, etc. It is important I believe to ensure this information is documented. I store all my artifacts by find site. Displaying, however, is different. Many display finds by site location or by artifact type. All the Hopewell's in one case, all the Kirk's in another, etc. I display my finds by find year. At the end of each year I put together display cases with the artifacts found that year. Some years it's one case some years it five cases. I tend to recall my hunting in time rather than by site so for me it's a more effective way to group memories together.

I never thought about putting the dates found ..How do you keep track of your finds when you put all the same types in on display, Do you write/mark on your finds ? Thanks Twitch!

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 18, 2011

cheese said:
I keep mine separated by find location. If I ever mixed any for display purposes, I would put a dab of whiteout on the back side and a number on each with a legend on the back of the display with the information about each point. This type of documentation is important. A point with no provenance is less interesting and worth less than the same point with documentation. Worth less historically and usually monetarily as well.

This type of documentation is important. A point with no provenance is less interesting and worth less than the same point with documentation. Worth less historically and usually monetarily as well. :thumbsup:

Very true ! Thanks cheese!

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 18, 2011

flintdigger said:
I have never hunted too many different sites due to the fact that some I was not physically able to get to, but the one's that I have hunted I keep the artifacts seperated.

Good luck with the sites you have :thumbsup:

.. I have about 4 sites that i hunt.. I have one site that goes way back in history ..Now if i can just talk the owner into letting me dig up the land :headbang:

.. My Sister that is

I will have it made :icon_sunny:

.. Thanks Flint !

Twitch · Jul 20, 2011

GroundS.KeepeR said:
Twitch said:

Certainly all your finds should be cateloged by find site, date, a description of the artifact, etc. It is important I believe to ensure this information is documented. I store all my artifacts by find site. Displaying, however, is different. Many display finds by site location or by artifact type. All the Hopewell's in one case, all the Kirk's in another, etc. I display my finds by find year. At the end of each year I put together display cases with the artifacts found that year. Some years it's one case some years it five cases. I tend to recall my hunting in time rather than by site so for me it's a more effective way to group memories together.

Click to expand...

I never thought about putting the dates found ..How do you keep track of your finds when you put all the same types in on display, Do you write/mark on your finds ? Thanks Twitch!

I don't write on my points though nearly everyone else I know does. It's a good way to track them obviously. Since I'm not a seller of points there is no external value to marking them. All of the context and information is included in my catelog. I'll take a digital picture of the frame of points and then write on the picture the catelog number next to each point. For example all my artifacts are numbered year - find order, 2009 - 143. That's the 143rd artifact I found in 2009.

joshuaream · Jul 20, 2011

Catalogs and artifacts rarely stay together after the first generation of being collected... Especially digital records.

I think all collectors should write county & state on each relic. If you are out west and have really big counties, maybe go with township or nearest city. Some people go with numbers that mean something, I do that for specific sites on some types of relics. Unfortunately the number would mean very little anyone else if it were separated from my collection.

As far as other stuff, I don't write type, size, color, weight, material etc. on relics, those things can be measured or deduced from the rock. I will mark ex-so and so if it comes from a well known collection, but most of those should already have well known marks. There is probably only one person on this forum who could write tribe information and be accurate, and that is Larson1951.

Cachefind09 · Jul 20, 2011

Here is how I display my finds. This is a display of site finds over a period of five different hunting seasons. For example 07-08 would be from late fall 2007 after the beans have been cut to the following spring 2008 after the corn has gotten to tall to hunt anymore. I take a picture of every piece insitu which records the time and date and I store all pictures onto a recordable cd disc for record keeping. No need to write on any pieces with a marker and if they get mixed up I have photographic evidence to seperate them again. Honestly, the worst part of all this is taking my hands out of my gloves to take a picture when it is freezing outside.

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 24, 2011

Twitch said:
GroundS.KeepeR said:

Twitch said:

Certainly all your finds should be cateloged by find site, date, a description of the artifact, etc. It is important I believe to ensure this information is documented. I store all my artifacts by find site. Displaying, however, is different. Many display finds by site location or by artifact type. All the Hopewell's in one case, all the Kirk's in another, etc. I display my finds by find year. At the end of each year I put together display cases with the artifacts found that year. Some years it's one case some years it five cases. I tend to recall my hunting in time rather than by site so for me it's a more effective way to group memories together.

Click to expand...

I never thought about putting the dates found ..How do you keep track of your finds when you put all the same types in on display, Do you write/mark on your finds ? Thanks Twitch!

Click to expand...

I don't write on my points though nearly everyone else I know does. It's a good way to track them obviously. Since I'm not a seller of points there is no external value to marking them. All of the context and information is included in my catelog. I'll take a digital picture of the frame of points and then write on the picture the catelog number next to each point. For example all my artifacts are numbered year - find order, 2009 - 143. That's the 143rd artifact I found in 2009.

I dont think i would choose to write on any that i find..Good idea about taking pics of your finds and keeping log of them... Thanks!

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 24, 2011

joshuaream said:
Catalogs and artifacts rarely stay together after the first generation of being collected... Especially digital records.

I think all collectors should write county & state on each relic. If you are out west and have really big counties, maybe go with township or nearest city. Some people go with numbers that mean something, I do that for specific sites on some types of relics. Unfortunately the number would mean very little anyone else if it were separated from my collection.

As far as other stuff, I don't write type, size, color, weight, material etc. on relics, those things can be measured or deduced from the rock. I will mark ex-so and so if it comes from a well known collection, but most of those should already have well known marks. There is probably only one person on this forum who could write tribe information and be accurate, and that is Larson1951.

Most of my finds came out of one county , Mostly camp sites mabe 4,5 -10 miles away from each other ... If i were to go by county would not have a problem ...I guess my next big question would be .. How far/big were camps,would they move alot , can i trace one type of artifact to different sites ?

GroundS.KeepeR · Jul 24, 2011

Cachefind09 said:
Here is how I display my finds. This is a display of site finds over a period of five different hunting seasons. For example 07-08 would be from late fall 2007 after the beans have been cut to the following spring 2008 after the corn has gotten to tall to hunt anymore. I take a picture of every piece insitu which records the time and date and I store all pictures onto a recordable cd disc for record keeping. No need to write on any pieces with a marker and if they get mixed up I have photographic evidence to seperate them again. Honestly, the worst part of all this is taking my hands out of my gloves to take a picture when it is freezing outside.

cool