My First Bethel CT Artifacts

[Wildcat1750]

Over the years, while metal detecting, and moving earth in my yard for various household projects, I have been finding many shell and quartz fragments. Being the collector that I am, and suspecting some sort of American Indian potential around here, I have saved them all. See my earlier thread: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/n...ents-question-indian-post-colonial-later.html for group photos of the fragments. As promised, here is the follow up thread…

Recently I have found what I believe to be my first good artifacts. Last weekend I had them looked at by an archeologist at the Institute For American Indian Studies in Washington, Connecticut on Artifact Identification Day. I will describe them as she did here but I am certainly open to second opinions or embellishments.

My first was found while metal detecting in the field along with a one piece flat button. It was identified as a Black Chert Bi-face that has been retouched. There are pot lid fractures on it from fire. It is not from the local area and the age is unknown.

My second find and my first quartz point was recovered while screening my topsoil stockpile to fill in a sinkhole. It was identified as a Narrow Stem Point, Wading River Knife from the Late Archaic to Early/Middle Woodland Period. Unfortunately the point is broken.

My third find was identified as a Beaver Tooth. It was also screened from the topsoil stockpile.

Thanks for Looking!
Nick

 

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[Charl]

You went to a great source, Wildcat1750. I can't ID teeth, at least not many, but she got the other 2 correct, IMHO. Typology is far from an exact science and it can be tough at times. In southern New England, collectors used to call such points "small stems". They are almost always quartz in RI and eastern Ma. The best and most recent guide to points from New England is by the late Jeffery Boudreau, titled "A New England Typology of Native American Projectile Points"(2008) and available at the online bookstore of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society(MAS). Here's an excellent resource for our region from the Archaeological society of Connecticut. If you click on the "ASC" button top left, you'll get the home page. This page gives you links to 2 good online typologies. Ritchie's New York typology is useful as he named many of our point types, for instance, Wading River, as a result of excavations on Martha's Vineyard. In any event, your point could be Wading River or Lamoka, they can be pretty close.

Lithics

 

[arrorhead junky]

very nice

 

[Wildcat1750]

You went to a great source, Wildcat1750. I can't ID teeth, at least not many, but she got the other 2 correct, IMHO. Typology is far from an exact science and it can be tough at times. In southern New England, collectors used to call such points "small stems". They are almost always quartz in RI and eastern Ma. The best and most recent guide to points from New England is by the late Jeffery Boudreau, titled "A New England Typology of Native American Projectile Points"(2008) and available at the online bookstore of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society(MAS). Here's an excellent resource for our region from the Archaeological society of Connecticut. If you click on the "ASC" button top left, you'll get the home page. This page gives you links to 2 good online typologies. Ritchie's New York typology is useful as he named many of our point types, for instance, Wading River, as a result of excavations on Martha's Vineyard. In any event, your point could be Wading River or Lamoka, they can be pretty close.

Lithics

Thanks for the second opinion, book sources and the link, Charl! Although I have been interested in Native American Artifacts all my life I am very new to collecting and learning about them. You folks on TNet seem to have such a wealth of collective knowledge and I hope to tap into that as much as I can.

very nice

Thanks! I can't wait to hit the soil pile once again. There are some eroded gullies in the wooded hillsides behind me that I need to check next.

 

[Tnmountains]

I would be sifting my whole yard and wanting to excavate the foundation!! I love the bi face with the fire pop. I live on CW battlefield and metal detect and dig holes everywhere. Even the flower beds are not safe. There is treasure and adventure in that yard of yours. Cool thing is you are finding out what you have. Now for the back hoe and test hole : )
Thanks for sharing this post and please keep us updated.
Happy Hunting !
TnMtns

 

[Wildcat1750]

I would be sifting my whole yard and wanting to excavate the foundation!! I love the bi face with the fire pop. I live on CW battlefield and metal detect and dig holes everywhere. Even the flower beds are not safe. There is treasure and adventure in that yard of yours. Cool thing is you are finding out what you have. Now for the back hoe and test hole : )
Thanks for sharing this post and please keep us updated.
Happy Hunting !
TnMtns

Thanks, Tnmountains. There is no corner of my yard that is safe either! I have gridded my property several times a year for the last 10 years with my metal detector and still manage to find new things...usually early 20th century or CW era but I am hitting more Colonial relics now. It's harder for me to find the stone tools, unless one happens to be in the hole when I'm recovering a target, or if I'm working that dirt pile. I think of it as my "upside down honey hole".
Nick