Hammer stone?

[Freemindedclark]

 

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[GaRebel1861]

Looks natural to me. Keep looking, there’s plenty of good stuff out there waiting to be found!

 

[Charl]

The outermost skin looks broken in the first photo. There's more then one way for that to happen, human battering being one. In such cases, the person who best knows the site like the back of their hand is in the best position to make the call. But others may not see the first photo as showing evidence of battering at all.

 

[Freemindedclark]

The outermost skin looks broken in the first photo. There's more then one way for that to happen, human battering being one. In such cases, the person who best knows the site like the back of their hand is in the best position to make the call. But others may not see the first photo as showing evidence of battering at all.

How does one go about identifying a camp site or settlement. There are numerous locations where I have found scattered artifacts ( mostly washed to the creeks at the hill bottoms) but have never been able to say for certain if they were just random or what. I have tried studying maps. I have also been told a multitude of very different things as far as where the natives would look for when determining camp locations.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Fire cracked rock is a big identifier. Indians cooked by heating rocks then dropping them in a clay pot of water. The rocks often cracked from heating and cooling and were discarded. Flint chips everywhere is another sign. That's what I look for anyway. Gary

 

[Charl]

How does one go about identifying a camp site or settlement. There are numerous locations where I have found scattered artifacts ( mostly washed to the creeks at the hill bottoms) but have never been able to say for certain if they were just random or what. I have tried studying maps. I have also been told a multitude of very different things as far as where the natives would look for when determining camp locations.

ToddsPoint provided good clues. I have a site I have walked for close to 30 years. Broken hearthstones, plowed up shell trash pits, lots of unfinished steatite pipe forms, pottery sherds. All obvious evidence that people were living there and not just passing though for a day. I know the site like the back of my hand in the sense of knowing where the various activity workshops are located in the field. Where the pipeforms turn up, etc. I know the cultural levels represented by the point types I have found. It's only a few acres, located next to a spring fed stream and a salt water estuary. Ideal place for a camp. But it took time to learn everything I know about the place. I had to walk it until its nature became clearer to me. I also know, from archaeolgical reports, that camps were located along the length of this estuary in Late Archaic times. But I can only look in that portion that is plowed yearly. The population in this area in Late Archaic times was estimated to be c. 30,000 people. I could find evidence of seasonal camps everywhere if it were all farmland. But there is just that few acres to walk, plus the beaches nearby.

But it does not have to be a full fledge seasonal camp. Around her our camps are seasonal. Near our bays in the Summer, deeper in the backcountry in the Winter. If you found debitage scatter all around where you found your stone, it would be a clue there was a relation between the two. It could be a situation where someone was using a hammer just one time at that spot. If I had found that stone, and knew as much as possible about where it was found, I would be in a better position to make an informed guess. That's all I was really saying.

 

[jamus peek]

The first pic looks like battering to me.
The battering looks concentrated on one area. You say you find artifacts in the area and hammer stones are probably one of the most obvious artifacts that do not get taken and most common artifacts found for that reason. As Charl said possibly could have only been used for a short time which makes sense because the wear is light for a hammerstone. That being said i also like Toddspoints comment because i do find some maybes that looks like flaking as opposed to battering and so he could be right as well.

 

[jamus peek]

ToddsPoint provided good clues. I have a site I have walked for close to 30 years. Broken hearthstones, plowed up shell trash pits, lots of unfinished steatite pipe forms, pottery sherds. All obvious evidence that people were living there and not just passing though for a day. I know the site like the back of my hand in the sense of knowing where the various activity workshops are located in the field. Where the pipeforms turn up, etc. I know the cultural levels represented by the point types I have found. It's only a few acres, located next to a spring fed stream and a salt water estuary. Ideal place for a camp. But it took time to learn everything I know about the place. I had to walk it until its nature became clearer to me. I also know, from archaeolgical reports, that camps were located along the length of this estuary in Late Archaic times. But I can only look in that portion that is plowed yearly. The population in this area in Late Archaic times was estimated to be c. 30,000 people. I could find evidence of seasonal camps everywhere if it were all farmland. But there is just that few acres to walk, plus the beaches nearby.

But it does not have to be a full fledge seasonal camp. Around her our camps are seasonal. Near our bays in the Summer, deeper in the backcountry in the Winter. If you found debitage scatter all around where you found your stone, it would be a clue there was a relation between the two. It could be a situation where someone was using a hammer just one time at that spot. If I had found that stone, and knew as much as possible about where it was found, I would be in a better position to make an informed guess. That's all I was really saying.

Hi Charl you sure got me wondering about steatite pipe preforms. I have found a few steatite rectangular shaped blanks i thought could be pipe preforms ill have to post em.

 

[Freemindedclark]

Thank you all so very much! I have never been offered as much wisdom as you all have shared with me on this thread. I wish I had someone from who to help teach me and show me things I'm missing. Once again thanks for taking the time to give me your insight.