PetesPockets55
Bronze Member
- Apr 18, 2013
- 1,696
- 3,039
- Detector(s) used
- AT MAX & Carrot, Nokta Pulse Dice (:
- Primary Interest:
- All Treasure Hunting
Got out detecting Sunday at a municipal construction site and found the usual trash and cents.
But in one area I noticed a retention pond and decided to have a look-see for ships and giggles. Didn't find any S or G but did notice there was a nice well-packed sand wall with different layers. Starting about 4"-6" from the top in one small area was some oyster shells mixed in with the soil. I thought this interesting but odd since this area is about 2 miles from any saltwater areas. I continued on but doubled back when I lost the argument with myself about this definitely being nothing.
As I started poking around the shells with my detecting knife I realized some black, flat irregularly shaped items I found earlier were also mixed in among the shells. Varying sizes, shapes and contours and about 1/8"-1/4" thick. When I found some earlier in the hunt I wrote them off as modern trash, probably from a tar and gravel roof. Hot mopped tar and tar paper I thought. No cross-hatching on any of the surfaces like other pottery I've found locally.
Now, the black pottery like items are not very durable so I'm not sure they could be used as pottery in the normal sense. If they are NA and not very durable, could they have been used for storing items instead of cooking or maybe defective pottery?
I did not remove all or even most of the shells and black pieces, but instead removed sand from around the items in the "pit" to outline them and make them more visible. I will say the "pit" is about 3' wide but I don't know how far it extends in the other direction. The bottom of the "pit" is curved and deeper in the middle, like a dug hole.
The second, lighter-colored item was found on the same day in the same area as the black pieces just before exploring the "pit". I think this and the oyster shells are what made me think NA. If I remember correctly it was in some loose oyster shells on or near the surface that had been dislodged by the machinery.
It has definitely been tooled and has cut marks on it. All I can think of is some kind of scraper of some sort. The blunt end is 6x7 mm (+-1/4" sq) and 18cm long. It seems fibrous and turns white when scraped with my nail. I'm not familiar with a lot of natural stone but could this be Soapstone? If so, this wouldn't have been a useful scraper.
Complicating things somewhat is the fact that there was a modern home in the vicinity, judging by a cluster of modern nails and a small piece of old broken asbestos siding about 10' away. I sure could use some help figuring out what I've got and want to thank everyone in advance for any insight. Let me know if more images are helpful.
Be gentle my friends for I have but little experience with N A artifacts, but I do have a curious, imaginative and childlike mind, or so my sisters say!
But in one area I noticed a retention pond and decided to have a look-see for ships and giggles. Didn't find any S or G but did notice there was a nice well-packed sand wall with different layers. Starting about 4"-6" from the top in one small area was some oyster shells mixed in with the soil. I thought this interesting but odd since this area is about 2 miles from any saltwater areas. I continued on but doubled back when I lost the argument with myself about this definitely being nothing.
As I started poking around the shells with my detecting knife I realized some black, flat irregularly shaped items I found earlier were also mixed in among the shells. Varying sizes, shapes and contours and about 1/8"-1/4" thick. When I found some earlier in the hunt I wrote them off as modern trash, probably from a tar and gravel roof. Hot mopped tar and tar paper I thought. No cross-hatching on any of the surfaces like other pottery I've found locally.
Now, the black pottery like items are not very durable so I'm not sure they could be used as pottery in the normal sense. If they are NA and not very durable, could they have been used for storing items instead of cooking or maybe defective pottery?
I did not remove all or even most of the shells and black pieces, but instead removed sand from around the items in the "pit" to outline them and make them more visible. I will say the "pit" is about 3' wide but I don't know how far it extends in the other direction. The bottom of the "pit" is curved and deeper in the middle, like a dug hole.
The second, lighter-colored item was found on the same day in the same area as the black pieces just before exploring the "pit". I think this and the oyster shells are what made me think NA. If I remember correctly it was in some loose oyster shells on or near the surface that had been dislodged by the machinery.
It has definitely been tooled and has cut marks on it. All I can think of is some kind of scraper of some sort. The blunt end is 6x7 mm (+-1/4" sq) and 18cm long. It seems fibrous and turns white when scraped with my nail. I'm not familiar with a lot of natural stone but could this be Soapstone? If so, this wouldn't have been a useful scraper.
Complicating things somewhat is the fact that there was a modern home in the vicinity, judging by a cluster of modern nails and a small piece of old broken asbestos siding about 10' away. I sure could use some help figuring out what I've got and want to thank everyone in advance for any insight. Let me know if more images are helpful.
Be gentle my friends for I have but little experience with N A artifacts, but I do have a curious, imaginative and childlike mind, or so my sisters say!
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