What’s the coolest thing you found in the back country

[grfox92]

I really regret not turing around to take a picture but figure its cool enough to share.

There is a cave right off the highway and right next to the river in my area that was a major archeological sight back in the 60s. It is a huge rock outcropping that provided enough cover and overhang for a few dozen people to call it home. It was inhabited on and off by several different Native American tribes for for around 9000 years, up until approximately 1580 AD.

Inside the cave was a petrified body of a Native who died appropriately 1200 years ago, tons of materials like arrows with intact feathers, woven baskets, nets, and beads. Inside the cave was also a huge collection of skulls and bones from, bighorn sheep, bison, deer, bear, and just about every species that inhabits the area

Anyway, I was driving by the cave today and always turn to look at it. Right there off the road was the biggest wild Bison I have ever seen. Slowly sauntering right past the mouth if the cave.

It made me wonder how many times that happened during the 9000 year period ancient hunters called that cave home, and how many buffalo died walking by that cave.

Pictured below is me and my son at the mouth of the cave.

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[tuffcrk14]

Is that preserved hair?

No, there was not any preserved hair that I saw. I did find pieces of horn, 4-6 vertebrae still held together, and bones from a small buffalo fetus though. Finding that skull inspired me to read “American Buffalo” by Steven Rinella. It’s an incredible read!

 

[TheGrayRider]

I found an 1853 US Braided Liberty One Cent coin this week at the old pioneer homestead in North Central Indiana after recent heavy rains.

173 year old coin and probably my best free range find at this site on private land. Minted in Philadelphia when Franklin Pierce was President. Also, my first pre-Civil War find that I can actually date and document.

Good luck and happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Update: Yesterday evening, I found an Indian arrowhead and a pioneer horseshoe at the old homestead in North Central Indiana.

The recent extremely heavy rains have really exposed the artifacts. The soybeans will grow soon so I will have to wait until next spring for the plows to turn the soil again.

Good luck and Happy Hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[OsoMountain]

View attachment 1075389

Update: Yesterday evening, I found an Indian arrowhead and a pioneer horseshoe at the old homestead in North Central Indiana.

The recent extremely heavy rains have really exposed the artifacts. The soybeans will grow soon so I will have to wait until next spring for the plows to turn the soil again.

Good luck and Happy Hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.



View attachment 1075391

I’m guessing an Archaic Period MacCorckle point. Excellent find.

 

[TheGrayRider]

I’m guessing an Archaic Period MacCorckle point. Excellent find.

Wow. I don’t know what type of arrowhead it is. You seem to have studied this topic in depth. To think the arrowhead is possibly between 5,000 to 8,000 years old is insane.

I have found about 5 or 6 nice arrowheads in the general area over the last few years. Interesting history.

Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[OsoMountain]

Wow. I don’t know what type of arrowhead it is. You seem to have studied this topic in depth. To think the arrowhead is possibly between 5,000 to 8,000 years old is insane.

I have found about 5 or 6 nice arrowheads in the general area over the last few years. Interesting history.

Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

The obsession and reverence started very early. I remember being about nine years old. One spring day, my dad yelled at me from out in the garden. It was one of those “get your ass out here” yells. I went out to the garden and sat down next to him at the edge of the field he’d been tilling. He smiled at me and motioned downward. Lying between us was the first real point I’d ever seen. I still remember exactly how it was oriented. It was a Decatur Blade.

The connection to people and place is intoxicating and grows with time. I’ve waited out rainstorms in bluff shelters that have pictographs carved into the walls. A very special feeling.

 

[AHayes111]

Some of the arrow heads I have found.

 

[Karl B]

Not as cool as most of this stuff but I found a metal folding chair once. Anyone who has been sitting in the dirt for a week can attest to the glory of a chair

 

[RaceRedStang]

What’s the coolest thing you found in the back country

Myself

Underrated post.

 

[AHayes111]

Hammer stone I found. Not exactly back country. Was picking rocks out of a field.

 

[RaceRedStang]

I was a big fan of the creepy thread that’s been going around on here, but wanted to expand this discussion beyond weird/creepy/paranormal. So what’s the coolest thing you’ve found?

Man this turned into a great thread

 

[LandSeig]

A couple of points I found out hunting on private land, I have always looked for things in the woods. I found a brass compass with a ship engraved on it one time when I was a kid, possibly dropped by a surveyor. I have found some cool things metal detecting.

 

[TheGDog]

INTERESTING THOUGHT : Have any of you guys that lives places where you can find ancient arrowheads like this ever bothered trying to mount them up to a shaft and take game with them?

 

[LandSeig]

INTERESTING THOUGHT : Have any of you guys that lives places where you can find ancient arrowheads like this ever bothered trying to mount them up to a shaft and take game with them?

On most points the sharp edge or serrations are long worn away unless it’s in extremely good shape. So it would be like shooting a really dull broad head out of a slow bow. Hunt Primitive on YouTube has a ton of videos on the subject and he does real world studies with university archaeologists. He makes arrow and atlatl points, and stone blades and he takes bison and other big game with them. I have used a lot of his info in making my long bow and arrows. Edit: looking back at ahayes111 fine collection you can see some of the serrations still visible, mainly the lower second from right point and the lower right blade. Looks like a fine Cahokia point but type is not my specialty.

 

[TheGrayRider]

Found another arrowhead today near the pioneer homestead in North Central Indiana.



Unique aerodynamic shape on this arrowhead that I have not seen before.



The heavy spring rains really exposed the artifacts this year. Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

 

[LandSeig]

View attachment 1080519

Found another arrowhead today near the pioneer homestead in North Central Indiana.

View attachment 1080520

Unique aerodynamic shape on this arrowhead that I have not seen before.

View attachment 1080521

The heavy spring rains really exposed the artifacts this year. Happy hunting to all, TheGrayRider a/k/a Tom.

Nice point and good looking material! That is a beveled edge, they were easier to resharpen when hafted. Basically drive the flakes down in one direction to reform one edge then spin the shaft and do the other. Much more practical than alternating the flaking back and forth when hafted to a 6’ shaft if this was on an atlatl. Especially when set up for percussion flaking like those long thin flakes seen here.

 

[LandSeig]

Hammer stone I found. Not exactly back country. Was picking rocks out of a field.View attachment 1077040

I wonder if that was the start of a full groove axe and was abandoned or repurposed?