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July 25, 2008

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Here are two links to posts dealing with how to post pictures on Black River Fossils forums.

1. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by ditchweezil

2. How to Post Pictures on Black River Fossils Forums by Daryl

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Native American Artifacts

Maryland Indian...

Maryland Indian Artifiacts?

4/20/2007 4:47:38 AM

Daryl

162 posts

Maryland Indian Artifiacts?

I made my first successful post this evening and it includes a pic of what my coworker found behind his house in a farmer's field. He thinks they are Indian artifacts like axe heads or something. I know absolutely nothing abouth this sort of thing. I can provide better pics if needed. Each one does have a slight edge to it.

Daryl.

4/20/2007 12:58:16 PM

76 posts

Re: Maryland Indian Artifiacts?

Hey Daryl - Don't think those are axe heads. I can imagine native people being constantly on the lookout for good lithic material for making weapons and tools. Certain parts of the country have really good raw material, others do not. The areas that are now Ohio, Florida, Texas, Washington State were some places where real good raw material could be found. The really good quality raw material must have been an excellent resource to trade. Anyhow, other areas had reasonably good quality material and other areas frankly pretty lousy. The main quality of good raw material is it would fracture consistently, hold an edge and be reasonably durable. Anyhow, it looks to me that the stuff you friend found could be artifacts. The one in the middle looks like a broken point and the one on the left could have been a tool of some sort. The one on the right looks to me like it is not.

4/20/2007 2:31:29 PM

Daryl

162 posts

Re: Maryland Indian Artifiacts?

Thanks JP. I may be taking my sons out looking this weekend on my friends land and some farmer's land to look for some artifacts - we've never been before. If we go and find anything I'll post it next week. My friend says he has hundreds of artifiacts, mostly points, and some axe heads, spears, and knives. If he can dig them out of storage I'll take some pictures.

Daryl.

4/20/2007 2:46:37 PM

Bob S.

103 posts

Re: Maryland Indian Artifiacts?

Good luck Daryl. I hope you and your boys find some nice things. If you are anything like I am, that first find will make an addict out of you.

4/20/2007 5:28:21 PM

76 posts

Re: Maryland Indian Artifiacts?

Daryl, I hope you have alot of fun with your kids looking for artifacts. Something that took me a long time to figure out is artifacts are not just all over the place but are in very specific areas. And these areas are where the native people camped. We tend to think of Indian villages but for most part, for many thousands of years, the native people were hunter gatherers. They moved around alot within their specific territory, following food resources. They would return to the same areas on a yearly basis .And this process could have been repeated for literally thousands of years. So, finding the areas where tools were made and where people camped is the trick. It must be said, a stray arrowhead could be found almost anywhere. But, to find large amounts of artifacts, these campsites need to located. Village sites certainly did exist also, but again these were much later. Finding a field where a Woodland Period village was once located would be a bonanza indeed. Wanted to mention that, when one first starts collecting fossils, there are alot of things that look "sort of" like a fossil and sort of like something else. When you collect for awhile, it becomes pretty easy and sort of second nature to recognize fossils from non fossils. It's the same process that takes place with artifacts.

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