How to better chances of finding artifacts?

[BaconIsMyFriend]

There are too many teepee mounds on the property to give a rough estimate. Should I just dig and sift those or should I also dig in the creek bed? I'm eager to find something.

Were indians known to dig small ponds to collect water in areas of Texas that are known to get higher rainfall? The reason I ask is because there is a small area that appears to have been possibly dug by humans. It holds a foot or two of water.

[BaconIsMyFriend]

Do you think families higher up in a tribe had dibs on choice spots closer to streams? There had to have been thousands who called this ranch home.

[Apretz]

How do you know they are teepee mounds? Have you found any artifacts?

[GarGuy]

Im not sure what i am looking at in the pics. Dig any little hump thats above flood zone and close to the water. Flake of flint will be proof that it was inhabited at some point.

Natives did in some rare occations dig out springs to make ponds. Not likely they actually dug a pond to retain runoff though. Much easier to just get it from the stream.

[UrbanBuck]

Astroid crater!

[quarterback]

Do you have a live or wet weather creek on the property? Have you found stuff there already? Is there a chance that you could plow up some of the more likely spots to see what the plow turns up? Back in the day a good dependable water source was of utmost importance in selecting camp sites (especially in Texas). What part of the world is this?

[Man]

what are we looking for in this picture?

[BaconIsMyFriend]

Arrowheads have already been found. Proven to be a large area where teepees were set up. The pics I have dont show the mounds that well. Yes, there is a stream that holds water. All I can say is this site is located in East TX.

Hope to have a weekend soon to devote to searching. Been checking the areas where we disc. Will be discing more when the ground drys out more.

I believe the photo attached is of a mound that I partially mowed over. Lots of brush still needs to be cleared in order to access other locations along the creek.

[Playa]

Step #1. Don't start this post during during a potential Texas Hurricane.... Johnny can't man the hurricane commands AND give artifact finding tips. He's not superman!

[BaconIsMyFriend]

Step #1. Don't start this post during during a potential Texas Hurricane.... Johnny can't man the hurricane commands AND give artifact finding tips. He's not superman!

You do have a valid point kemosabe.

[GarGuy]

well if its east tx, the ground is probably sandy and the oldest artifacts will be pretty deep. After the storm, go look at the exposed spots and see if you find small flakes of flint. that confirms a camp site. You could disc the surface and let it rain on that.. you do risk breakage though.

[BaconIsMyFriend]

Thanks. Turns out the whole ranch is well known for being part of a large area where they lived. Mounds are everywhere. Must've been thousands that called this location home. Even the neighbor was telling me they are all over her ranch too. Yeah it's sandy soil for sure. At least sifting through it should be easier when dry.

Need a diesel powered sifter like you have.

[GarGuy]

Start with the ones closest to the stream but above flood zone. Sites like you describe are very common in east tx. Most of the really rare stuff is pretty deep though an goes undiscovered. the mounds you see may or may nnot be native constructed but if you have high ground near running water in East tx, its a native site.. Most of whats there wont be known tribes. Most will be Archaic stuff. 3,000-7,000 years old.

[BaconIsMyFriend]

Thankful we have plenty of earthmoving equipment. Now just need a good sifter to speed things along.

There's just no way I could hand dig all these sites by hand.