site on my property

ptsofnc · Jan 30, 2018

Several years ago I timbered my property. Thought that as the ground was disturbed by heavy equipment, I might spot some NA work areas. I did. I found 4 NA work areas on my property that I didn't know about before (scattering of rhyolite flakes, broken points). Contacted an archeologist who appreciated that I made the contact, but he wasn't interested enough to check the sites out. So, I decided to do my own excavation. These were found at one of the sites that I've excavated...an area about 6' X 25' , surface to 11" to 13". What I'm showing are points (seems to be middle to late archaic),possibly utilized flakes, non rhyolite stone used in some way, and flake debris. No fantastic finds (except maybe the yadkin eared point), but still fascinating to me!

Joe-Dirt · Jan 30, 2018

Very cool!!

redbeardrelics · Jan 30, 2018

Very cool ptsofnc ! That sound like a very nice site to me. A significant amount of material for that size area and depth. Have you dug any deeper in spots to check for older sites? A lot of us envy being able to own and dig your own sites. HH

ptsofnc · Jan 30, 2018

redbeardrelics said:
Very cool ptsofnc ! That sound like a very nice site to me. A significant amount of material for that size area and depth. Have you dug any deeper in spots to check for older sites? A lot of us envy being able to own and dig your own sites. HH

The site sits on the crest of a small hill. It has a perfect southern exposure and there is a very small stream just down the hill to the south that begins at a spring a short distance to the east. I have dug down to hardpan (and slightly deeper) just to make sure there is no reason to go any deeper. The archeologist told me that many NA sites are near the surface due to erosion in the last 200 years. Haven't become deeper, but shallower. That surprised me. I'm pretty sure the little area that I've excavated has never been plowed.

NCPeaches · Jan 30, 2018

Very cool to have it all on your own property and can dig all you want to :laughing7:

You have found some awesome artifacts and no telling what you will find next. I can't remember if you mentioned looking in the stream. The land I own has about 2 acres of flat flood plain and then the creek is like a deep ditch running around it, the creek itself is very shallow but runs all the time, everything I find is in the creek and I've had the flat area plowed and I gardened it with barely a rock in that spot or I would be digging up my field if I thought there was something there. I'm wondering if there would be pottery in your stream, is there broken glass there or old bottles?

ptsofnc · Jan 30, 2018

NCPeaches said:
Very cool to have it all on your own property and can dig all you want to You have found some awesome artifacts and no telling what you will find next. I can't remember if you mentioned looking in the stream. The land I own has about 2 acres of flat flood plain and then the creek is like a deep ditch running around it, the creek itself is very shallow but runs all the time, everything I find is in the creek and I've had the flat area plowed and I gardened it with barely a rock in that spot or I would be digging up my field if I thought there was something there. I'm wondering if there would be pottery in your stream, is there broken glass there or old bottles?

When I said stream, it is no more than a very good spring (the good water would have probably been the main reason the NAs sat right on that spot and worked stone) about 100' down the hill. I can only get to the little stream in the winter when I can hack my way through the briars and honeysuckle. I wouldn't be surprised if some artifacts would have washed down the hill and lodged in the little ditch that the spring runs through. The creek that I hunt and have found points and pottery in are on the other side of my property and there is flat bottom land (flood plain) on both sides of that creek. I have never found artifacts in the flat bottom land, just in the creek.

NCPeaches · Jan 30, 2018

ptsofnc said:
When I said stream, it is no more than a very good spring (the good water would have probably been the main reason the NAs sat right on that spot and worked stone) about 100' down the hill. I can only get to the little stream in the winter when I can hack my way through the briars and honeysuckle. I wouldn't be surprised if some artifacts would have washed down the hill and lodged in the little ditch that the spring runs through. The creek that I hunt and have found points and pottery in are on the other side of my property and there is flat bottom land (flood plain) on both sides of that creek. I have never found artifacts in the flat bottom land, just in the creek.

Sounds like your creek and I call it bottom land too are similar to mine. The good stuff!

quito · Jan 30, 2018

Wow!
Sounds like a project I have been dreaming about for years. And it should come to fruition in the next couple.
I envy you.

Tnmountains · Jan 30, 2018

That has to be very satisfying to get them off of your own place. A neighbor told me about the best field he ever hunted but it has been in pasture for over 40 years. I have it leased and have a tractor and a moldboard plow and am turning it this spring. I am excited and hope my site turns out as well as yours.

ptsofnc · Jan 30, 2018

Tnmountains said:
That has to be very satisfying to get them off of your own place. A neighbor told me about the best field he ever hunted but it has been in pasture for over 40 years. I have it leased and have a tractor and a moldboard plow and am turning it this spring. I am excited and hope my site turns out as well as yours.

Good luck to you! Hope you get out there first after plowing and a good rain!

Tnmountains · Jan 30, 2018

Thank you. I will be doing the plowing and no one can see the field or knows about me doing it. It right beside a cave. We timbered around 1200 acres two years ago and like you I looked for spots on the mountains but did not find any signs there. Have found plenty in the valley below and in the creeks though.
Keep posting your finds and good luck also.

dognose · Jan 30, 2018

A spring that flows all year without freezing is a good place to check.

The Grim Reaper · Jan 30, 2018

Tnmountains said:
That has to be very satisfying to get them off of your own place. A neighbor told me about the best field he ever hunted but it has been in pasture for over 40 years. I have it leased and have a tractor and a moldboard plow and am turning it this spring. I am excited and hope my site turns out as well as yours.

If if you need a new hunting buddy that will buy all the beer, food, and gas I'm your man.

Sounds like a site we got into back around 1986. The guy told us it had been in pasture for 70+ years and he turned it 16 inches deep. We found over 300 good Points between the three of us and I had around 110 or more myself. I had to take my shirt off and make a pouch to carry things we found so much. That was in a one day hunt. I found well over 1000 pieces in that spot that year. Hope your site produces like that for you.

arrow86 · Jan 30, 2018

That’s great to find that much stuff on your property ,some really nice finds and I’m sure there still more

jmaschal · Jan 30, 2018

Jealous great saves.

Tnmountains · Jan 30, 2018

The Grim Reaper said:
If if you need a new hunting buddy that will buy all the beer, food, and gas I'm your man.

Sounds like a site we got into back around 1986. The guy told us it had been in pasture for 70+ years and he turned it 16 inches deep. We found over 300 good Points between the three of us and I had around 110 or more myself. I had to take my shirt off and make a pouch to carry things we found so much. That was in a one day hunt. I found well over 1000 pieces in that spot that year. Hope your site produces like that for you.

I do not want to hi jack this great thread. But to be honest I would take everyone on here if I could after the second rain, lol