David and John investigating some of the "pushoff".

David used a potato fork to cave off some dirt.

A view of part of the site.

This isn't working!

AH!... now HERE is where we need to look!

This we had noticed before as a dark spot with some shell and flint chips.

Looking better!

What had happened was that they had dozed of a foot or so above a fire circle, or fire pit. No telling what all was pushed out into the top soil pile.

Paydirt!

Almost the first fork full produced an awl and a point.

Two pieces!

More.

Here is a fork full showing animal bone and a point and pottery shards

John points out the flint.

This was more like a scraper than a point. Lots of deer bone.

Two more

Here is another view

One firepit

Here is a grouping of artifacts from one hole showing pottery shards, flint, shell, and animal bone.

2nd firepit

Grouping of artifacts from 2nd firepit, again with flint, bone, pottery shards, shell, and some tortoise shell.

Two fire circles

Here is the two fire circles about 10 feet apart. An anomaly.... in the VERY bottom of the side of pit one.... we found a horse shoe nail....... now what in the heck?

1st pit

This is a shot of the first pit cleaned out down to a yellow clay bottom showing through. It was about a foot deep with rounded bottom.

John, David, & Speedy trying to find another pit.

Keep in mind that about a foot had already been dozed off.

Charcoal, but not much else.

This pit was off from the others,...... possible dozed deeper because of the lay of the land and only the very bottom was left.

Part 1

Here is what NO artifact hunter wants to be accused of... Do you see it? Speedy spotted it.

Part 2

Look right above the sprig of grass near the center. See it now? Isn't that a boot print right above and below?

Part 3

How about now?..... something peeking out? Looks like a tip.

Part 4

Yep..... a mississippian point!

Part 5

In hand. What had happended was that David, (at least WE said they were his boot prints), had stepped right across it coming down off the pile of dirt and missed it.

Speedy, John, & David

"Ok....... I missed one!"

The 4 of us.

And looking a bit dirty.

Another shot

With part of the site in the background.

Larger point

I had to leave for a bit and David went with me. While we were gone John and Speedy found an "undisturbed bank" at the edge of the site.

Artifacts.

They brought out the stemmed point almost at once, then bone pottery and shell, and of all things.... a clay pipe!

View of the hole.

Cap full

Some of the pottery shards and bone and flint.

John and David

John and David looking at the hole.

Speedy with a smile

Speedy holding the stemmed piece.

Washed up.

Here are some of the pieces from the bank washed up.

Another shot.

Several pieces of deer legbone sharpened and showing polish.

Pottery Shard

A piece of pottery with a decoration in the upper left corner.

The Pipe

Here is a shot of the clay pipe.

Side view.

Bone

A lower deer jaw.

Odd shard

This one we cannot figure out. It is finished on the two sides........ a large strap handle?...... but it is nearly flat.... something else?

David

David playing with the deer jaw.

Speedy and John

Speedy and John digging through part of uncleaned site material.

Speedy

John

John separating shards.

The horseshoe nail

another shot

do you agree ........ that it is a horseshoe nail?

and another

Any thought as to the date of site or how the nail got there?