Indian artifact excavation

[dragonsdaddy]

I think so too, Johnny. I know some Indians moved around with the seasons and buffalo migrations and such. I don't know if the East Texas Indians moved as much as the plains Indians?? When they did move, do you think they took their arrows and tools with them, or did they leave them since packing up and hauling a bunch of rocks around would be heavy?

i hiked in big bend several times decades ago, and while walking towards burro mesa, the worked flint was so numerous in and along the creek bed, we had to avert our eyes or we would be stopping every step. after we got up the valley, i think i figured out why there was so much detritus downstream. we found multiple "mother boulders" of nearly solid flint 2-5 feet in diameter. it was obvious looking at the stones that they had been used for millenia as a source for flint. i concluded that what i was seeing below were very crude, partially worked pieces that had been abandoned after a few minutes when they didn't look like what the knapper wanted as an end product. since weight was truly the limiting factor, i surmised that they would knap a tool as quickly as possible there, and finish it at "home". as far as the ones gg is finding, they could easily have been left as a cache for returning clansmen, or been left behind after a skirmish, or abandoned when a better tool became available. as is obvious, there was more where they came from.

[Shane]

i hiked in big bend several times decades ago, and while walking towards burro mesa, the worked flint was so numerous in and along the creek bed, we had to avert our eyes or we would be stopping every step. after we got up the valley, i think i figured out why there was so much detritus downstream. we found multiple "mother boulders" of nearly solid flint 2-5 feet in diameter. it was obvious looking at the stones that they had been used for millenia as a source for flint. i concluded that what i was seeing below were very crude, partially worked pieces that had been abandoned after a few minutes when they didn't look like what the knapper wanted as an end product. since weight was truly the limiting factor, i surmised that they would knap a tool as quickly as possible there, and finish it at "home". as far as the ones gg is finding, they could easily have been left as a cache for returning clansmen, or been left behind after a skirmish, or abandoned when a better tool became available. as is obvious, there was more where they came from.

I found a place similar to that in Caprock Canyons State Park a few years ago. There is a big, flat hoodoo rock that is bigger than the hood of your pickup sitting on top of a little hill, and the rock is about "workbench" high off the ground around it. It is covered with debitage all over the rock and running off down the hill and washed down all the gullies surrounding that little hill. EVERYWHERE. There is no telling how many tools and arrowheads were made on that natural workbench through the centuries.

I wish they'd let me dig around there.

[GarGuy]

Great observations from ALL above. The conventional wisdom from everthing you read says the Paleo and early Archaic natives were wanderers who never built infrastructure or villages but just traveled till they made a big kill like a Mammoth. They then camped there till the meat was cut up and dried before moving on.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS WRONG ! In East Tx, there is clear evidence that Paleo folks built villages and stayed there long periods of time. Like Johnny said, evidence is clear at my site that those folks dug that spring out, built a dam around it, and lined the sand with clay to make it hold water..which it did for over 12,000 years! The deep charcoal beds right on the hardpan show thousands of fires, not juts a passing camp. I spent lots of time recently conversing with Dr Collins who is the most experienced paleo scientist in the World. His recent study virtually mirrors what I am finding. I don't know who was more excited by that, me or him.

[dragonsdaddy]

Great observations from ALL above. The conventional wisdom from everthing you read says the Paleo and early Archaic natives were wanderers who never built infrastructure or villages but just traveled till they made a big kill like a Mammoth. They then camped there till the meat was cut up and dried before moving on.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS WRONG ! In East Tx, there is clear evidence that Paleo folks built villages and stayed there long periods of time. Like Johnny said, evidence is clear at my site that those folks dug that spring out, built a dam around it, and lined the sand with clay to make it hold water..which it did for over 12,000 years! The deep charcoal beds right on the hardpan show thousands of fires, not juts a passing camp. I spent lots of time recently conversing with Dr Collins who is the most experienced paleo scientist in the World. His recent study virtually mirrors what I am finding. I don't know who was more excited by that, me or him.

the woodland paleos were no different than modern texans. if the necessities are handy, and "easy" to accrue/obtain, why move. maybe the best thing about this or any other similar camps/settlements was the semi inaccessibility to the plains, at least in the later centuries. the plains tribes were required to follow their grocery store, and since hollywood/pulp fiction authors are the "historians" of the unwashed, all amerinds must have done the same. had the buffalos not migrated, neither would the plains tribes.

[GarGuy]

Excellent observations DD

[huntinfool]

Great finds.
Keep the conversation going. I have been trying to learn more about the heads I have found and the heads of Texas. I have a couple of books on arrowheads. But I have to admit, I can get lost in a hurry. The book I have has drawn pics and I am still learning the lingo.

[huntinfool]

Great observations from ALL above. The conventional wisdom from everthing you read says the Paleo and early Archaic natives were wanderers who never built infrastructure or villages but just traveled till they made a big kill like a Mammoth. They then camped there till the meat was cut up and dried before moving on.

CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IS WRONG ! In East Tx, there is clear evidence that Paleo folks built villages and stayed there long periods of time. Like Johnny said, evidence is clear at my site that those folks dug that spring out, built a dam around it, and lined the sand with clay to make it hold water..which it did for over 12,000 years! The deep charcoal beds right on the hardpan show thousands of fires, not juts a passing camp. I spent lots of time recently conversing with Dr Collins who is the most experienced paleo scientist in the World. His recent study virtually mirrors what I am finding. I don't know who was more excited by that, me or him.

That is pretty awesome.

[stickman]

What is the most reputable/recognized artifact authentication company in Texas?

[fo_teef]

Probaby Dwain Rogers for Texas. See #5 on this list of well-known authenticators:

http://www.prehistoricartifacts.com/prehistoricartifactswebsite/guarantee.htm

[GarGuy]

I had a killer day today! Lets start of with Paleo! Smokin Wilson!

Then a broken Angostura resharpened into a scraper!

Next a Sweeeeeet Kistache or Golondrina depending on how you see it.

Then a killer paleo impact fractured right down the middle

(Continued)

[Johnny]

That Golondrina is a smokin son of a gun! Looks at those ground edges. Beautiful point right there. Nice colors in the Wilson point and awesome material of course on that ango! Keep em coming!

[GarGuy]

Next some more Andice pieces. MAn a whole one is hard to find.

Then another SWEET Bronson blade! Note the cortex on the end.

then the finest Perdiz I have ever seen!

Good Day today!

[KickerPoint79]

Wow, the good stuff just keeps coming!

[GarGuy]

Misc

[locoengineer]

Wow is all I can say we dug today at our camp in henly only found 2 pieces