Proud of my wife

[Conquistador_del_mar]

A couple days ago, a guy walked into my wife's jewelry business wearing an arrowhead on a twine necklace. She immediately knew what it appeared to be - a Clovis (the oldest known arrowhead form from the North American continent dating 9500-13,500 years old). The guy told her that he had found it a couple years ago in a local creek here in north Texas. He was in the store trying to find a necklace for his wife. He found a necklace, but told Deanna that he would have to come back the next day to pay for it. Right when he was leaving, he told her that he would sell the Clovis for $100. Deanna bought it, knowing that there was a slight chance it was a modern made fake, but she trusted his story about finding it. She has learned quite a bit from my collecting hobby, and she was right. As soon as I got it, I checked it out under my microscope, and it is authentic!! Bravo for her! Clovis points are extrememly rare. Deanna sometimes uses the handle Deanderthal after the Leanderthal - a woman's remains found on a Plainview site near Leander, Texas which date back about 8700 years. Anyway, I was pleased to see how much she has picked up from me over the years. Bill

[The Hedgehog]

A couple days ago, a guy walked into my wife's jewelry business wearing an arrowhead on a twine necklace. She immediately knew what it appeared to be - a Clovis (the oldest known arrowhead form from the North American continent dating 9500-13,500 years old). The guy told her that he had found it a couple years ago in a local creek here in north Texas. He was in the store trying to find a necklace for his wife. He found a necklace, but told Deanna that he would have to come back the next day to pay for it. Right when he was leaving, he told her that he would sell the Clovis for $100. Deanna bought it, knowing that there was a slight chance it was a modern made fake, but she trusted his story about finding it. She has learned quite a bit from my collecting hobby, and she was right. As soon as I got it, I checked it out under my microscope, and it is authentic!! Bravo for her! Clovis points are extrememly rare. Deanna sometimes uses the handle Deanderthal after the Leanderthal - a woman's remains found on a Plainview site near Leander, Texas which date back about 8700 years. Anyway, I was pleased to see how much she has picked up from me over the years. Bill

Nice story Bill. That is really cool

[Cuda]

There are a lot of Indian artifacts found here along the St John's River. No Clovis, but I ran into one artufact hunter when it was cold outside, and he had a couple of real nice arrowheads, and other Indian cutting implements. He told me you can walk barefooted at most anyplace along the river that has oak trees growing, and feel them with your feet. He says that the Indians lived on the higher ground found at oak hammocks. The other areas were more prone to flood.

[Conquistador_del_mar]

Nice story Bill. That is really cool

Thanks, Bill. Yep, I have to say I was surprised by her knowledge and purchase. Most of my collection is concentrated on upper midwest artifacts, but I like to collect local artifacts too. Out of the hundreds of local found pieces, I actually only have one point which is more rare (a Midland made from petrified wood dating to around 9000 years old) or maybe I should say it is worth more. Picture of the Midland here. In one picture the Midland is beside one of my better Pedernales points. Bill


There are a lot of Indian artifacts found here along the St John's River. No Clovis, but I ran into one artufact hunter when it was cold outside, and he had a couple of real nice arrowheads, and other Indian cutting implements. He told me you can walk barefooted at most anyplace along the river that has oak trees growing, and feel them with your feet. He says that the Indians lived on the higher ground found at oak hammocks. The other areas were more prone to flood.

I believe there have been some Suwanee points found there, and they are almost as old as Clovis at 9500 years old or so. They are also auriculate style points with basal grinding. I used to go to a rock shop in Clearwater, Fl back in the 70s where they sold some local found stuff - many of their artifacts and dinosaur pieces were found along the Suwanee River (same name as the old arrowhead style) by guys using machetes that they would drag through the muddy banks until they hit flint or dinosaur parts. Yep, the native indians knew where to set camps. I have a few Florida found pieces including some points made from coral that are beautiful. You should see some of the caches of beautiful Pasco, Hillsborough, Hernando, Marion and Newnan points that have been found there in central and north central Florida - spectacular! Bill

[Cuda]

I used to hunt along the Suwannee more than anywhere in Florida. I knew a waitress there who's husband used to make a living selling artifacts he found there.

He found most of them in the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge, which is illegal to take them from. There are still big Indian mounds there. It's illegal just to dig around them. There is a hunting camp on the south side of the river called Shell Mound. It must have been where the Indians dumped all their oyster shells. As flat as Florida is at the mouth of the Suwannee, it isn't hard to see an old Indian mound.

[BigGrizzly]

Now THAT is Cool

[Conquistador_del_mar]

I used to hunt along the Suwannee more than anywhere in Florida. I knew a waitress there who's husband used to make a living selling artifacts he found there.

He found most of them in the Lower Suwannee Wildlife Refuge, which is illegal to take them from. There are still big Indian mounds there. It's illegal just to dig around them. There is a hunting camp on the south side of the river called Shell Mound. It must have been where the Indians dumped all their oyster shells. As flat as Florida is at the mouth of the Suwannee, it isn't hard to see an old Indian mound.

Many of the mounds throughout the US have been dug, but it was not until relatively recent years that it was made illegal and covered by the NAGPRA laws. Those shell dumps are called shell middens. Did you ever find any really good artifacts? Some of the pieces I bought at that rock shop in Clearwater might have been found by that guy you know that hunted the Suwannee - who knows? Finding and/or collecting artifacts is a fun hobby that not too many people enjoy. Bill


Now THAT is Cool

It really is highly cool - thanks, Randy

[Cuda]

Many of the mounds throughout the US have been dug, but it was not until relatively recent years that it was made illegal and covered by the NAGPRA laws. Those shell dumps are called shell middens. Did you ever find any really good artifacts? Some of the pieces I bought at that rock shop in Clearwater might have been found by that guy you know that hunted the Suwannee - who knows? Finding and/or collecting artifacts is a fun hobby that not too many people enjoy. Bill



It really is highly cool - thanks, Randy
I have found bits and pieces. I have the best luck when the state "potato rows" in order to plant pine trees. You can sometimes find stuff just from the ground that has been turned over.

One piece that guy found on the St John's near Crescent City, must have been a charm on a necklace. It had a prefectly round cirle that had been bored through an arrowhead. He kept everything he found that morning in a can of river water. He said he might get $700 for that charm.

[Cuda]

My cousin and I both had identical 12 foot jon boats with 8 horse Yamis. We used to get so lost in the grassflats around the mouth of the Suwannee, we thought we'd nver find our way out. One time, he and his son had to spend the night on his jon boat, because he didn't look for a way out, before the darkness overtook him. He said all he and his son had on the boat to eat were some pretzels. I figured there was no sense in me getting lost too trying to find him. It's very unlikely he would have drowned out there. Most places you can just stand up! :)

He was telling his son that the pretzels were Filet Mignon!:pimp::nilly:

[Cuda]

Many of the mounds throughout the US have been dug, but it was not until relatively recent years that it was made illegal and covered by the NAGPRA laws. Those shell dumps are called shell middens.
I can tell you right now that a Dixie County redneck won't pay a bit of attention to the law. His uncle is probably the judge.

There is a paved highway out in the middle of the swamp, they call the "highway to nowhere". It was built just for drug smugglers to land planes on. The sheriff would even set up road blocks so the plane could land, and have a 18 wheeler there to unload it on. Search the "Steinhatchee Seven", and it will probably come up.

Hell, I turned in two guys for killing a gator on federal land. All they got was a $350 fine, and couldn't hunt the refuge for a year. The fine was just the cost of doing business. If they got caught one time in twenty, they came out way ahead. I've also seen them seine net trout and redfish, both of which are illegal.

One guy I know came home with his pickup truck squatting from illegally harvested oysters, and had a cooler of the biggest trout I've ever seen. I though he caught the trout. When I asked him what he use to catch the trout, he told me, "2 and a half inch seine net".

[Cuda]

There are also springs up and down the St John's and the Suwannee. Some springs on the St Johns have salt water in them, that was trapped there when all of Florida was under water. They estimate the age of some of the fresh water at 30,000 years old. :)

[Cuda]

It is also said that Payne's Prarie was a lake big enough there were steamboats on it, then a sinkhole opened up, and it drained over night. It's easy to see where the shoreline was traveling up I 75 from Ocala to Gainesville.

[rtgogo]

Very cool....