Some Finds in Western PA

[Hutch in PA]

Found a couple of keepers this weekend. Will post a better pic of the red/yellow tonight. It's a reall beauty. I'm not sure of the material...it's not flint ridge. It was hard to miss against the back drop in the spring. The other point is a bifurcate...I've only found a handful over the years.

 

[ohio]

Those look like two really nice points from where I am sitting. Show us cleaned up shots!

Chuck

 

[ohioaxeman]

Hutch. love the colors in the first point. Can we see bigger pictures of them especially the 2nd one? I dont think its a bifurcate. A bigger picture will help us with its true identity!

 

[jeff a]

nice finds the first one looks like yellow jasper

 

[Hutch in PA]

Agreed, I believe it is yellow jasper. I will post better pics tonight. If it is yellow jasper, does that mean it came from the Eastern side of PA?

 

[jeff a]

i find unworked yellow and red jasper just west of youngstown in the glacial till,i dont know where the glaciers brought it from or if its the same jasper thats in eastern pa

 

[Hutch in PA]

Here are the two points. I love the deposits on the jasper. Upon closer inspection, the other is definitely not bifurcate. I was actually thinking of a different point I found last week. Will post sometime. Any opinions welcome. Also, check out my next post. Geofact?

 

[Th3rty7]

Couple of framers...nice finds Hutch. The jasper piece looks like it was heat treated imo.

 

[artorius]

Hi Hutch,

I am aware of three major sources of jasper in Pennsylvania: the high-quality jasper found near Vera Cruz (Berks/Montgomery/Lehigh Counties); a generally more grainy jasper centered around Elkton, Maryland and extending into the extreme south-western corner of Chester County, PA; and a grainy and matt colored jasper found in Centre County (Houserville jasper). Your piece looks to me to be most like the high-quality jasper found near Vera Cruz, and I would guess that the stone probably originated from there. I agree that the point appears to have been heat-treated. Nice piece!

artorius

 

[Hutch in PA]

Thanks for all of the opinions. I did a quick mapquest, and Artorius, if you are correct (which I believe you are), this material traveled a little over 250 miles to reach its final resting spot. It sure must have meant a lot to someone...

 

[artorius]

Hi Hutch,

Nice quality flints did travel. The very first artifact I ever found (I was 8 at the time) was an expended Kirk corner-notched point of Coshocton flint. I found the piece in a gully near a parking lot outside of Philadelphia, but the flint originated near Columbus, Ohio. I believe that flint travelled about 400 miles to reach its resting place, over the Appalacians, and without helpful rivers to facilitate the journey.

artorius