scored a nice piece on saturday afternoon

[larson1951]

found bone awl and a point
The bone awl was still very sharp

 

[Th3rty7]

hopefully you flipped over the knife river flake to the left of the awl, looks worked to me, possible scraper.

 

[larson1951]

thirty7, yes I looked at that piece but it was just a flake, and there is a lot of them laying in some areas

 

[creek astronaut]

thats a really nice bone awl!great finds.thx for sharing.

 

[quito]

Very nice awl. Looks like there could be lots of pottery shards in the area too.

Joel

 

[Flintfinder of Mo.]

That is very nice. Keep them pics and finds coming. John

 

[larson1951]

flintfinder and all members, Thankyou very much for all the kind compliments and information
it is much appreciated
I agree that the flint flakes and spawls should be left lay
on many sites in the upper midwest a person would have to bring an ice cream pail to carry an afternoon's worth of this stuff in.
these sites also have lots of black pottery pieces laying every where which I also think should be left laying
I only keep a piece of pottery if it is a nice rim piece with a unique design

 

[quito]

Don't get me wrong Steve, but the pottery, even though it is plentiful now, will be gone in the future if it doesn't get picked up. Keep in mind, you only see what is on the ground, there is much more in the ground. Repeated farming operations, freeze and thaw etc. will eventually turn all the pottery to dust size particles.

I pick up all the pottery I find here in eastern South Dakota, and in the last 5 years, I haven't picked up enough to fill a cool-whip bowl, (something I know you could do in under an hour out there) and most pieces are less than 1/2" x 1/2 inch. I know that we have been working the soil over here much longer than you guys have been over there, so it is just a matter of time, and your pottery shards will look like our pottery chips. I'd be picking some up if I were you.

Joel

 

[larson1951]

thanks Joel, I have never thought of it like that but if I picked up all the pottery
it would not leave any time for the good stuff, I will try to show you what I mean
thanks, steve

 

[savant365]

Thanks for all the nice pics, love seeing your finds from up there. Keep it up

HH Charlie

 

[quito]

Yeah Steve,......... big problem you have there.:-)

I know what you mean about all the pottery. I was tracking a deer I arrowed near Chamberlain years ago and came across a site in a drought stricken corn field, you could not look at the ground and not see pottery while on the site.

Joel

 

[larson1951]

Yes Joel, I do believe you
now how could a person pick up all of these pieces
thanks

 

[Pinellas Man]

Nice finds Larson, I don't have any bone artifacts. I've heard that the acidicy of the soil destroys them down here in my area.

 

[larson1951]

pinellas, around here bone just turns chalky and then disintegrates when exposed to the sun
My pieces were found after a 4inch deep till and then a hard thunderstorm