need help dating artifacts

[dogfish]

I am looking for some expertise on dating artifacts I found. I know I may not be able to get a clear answer but I found these broken points within 15 feet of each other and in the same spot that I can find a hand full of flakes and some hammer stones almost every time I search so it's clear to me that points were being made there but the two in the picture do not appear(to my inexperienced eye) to be from the same person or time frame. The white one appears much older and done with less skill than the other. I also realize maybe it is just because it is a different material that deteriorates faster. I have located debitage in two other areas close to this and along the same ridge leading me to think this may have been a community rather than just pass thru hunters. This is on my family farm so I am fascinated to learn what might have been there in the past. In the same spot I found these two points there is a washout about 2 feet deep and at about the 1 foot depth there is burned wood being exposed a little at a time and I know there have been a lot of forest fires in the past but due to is location among all of the artifacts I have found I wonder if it could be an old camp fire. Anyway, any info anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated.

 

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[unclemac]

if it is a good spot to shelter or live at, you could be talking about a span of thousands of years. Proximity of your finds becomes meaningless without a clear recorded dig. Broken pieces are hard to date and some styles spanned ages. If you look at everything you have found at the site it may give you more insight. Even so, I have 80 or so points, pieces and tools from a single site that stretch back a couple thousand years right up to early 1900's.

 

[Tdog]

I don't see enough key indicators on those pieces to date them--at least for my eyes. A complete base goes a long way in assessing typology.

 

[Older The Better]

Possible hints, could be in the material, paleo people had big ranges and access to high quality stuff, later people who were more settled made use of local lithics more. Check for heat treatment usually a later trait... none of these rules are absolute but good to point you in a direction.
For what it’s worth my hunch is woodland/Mississippian, the flaking seems a bit random and not super high quality material. but that’s a little hedged bet because that time period is the most abundant as far as artifacts go and probably the most visible dependent on landscape.

 

[dogfish]

if it is a good spot to shelter or live at, you could be talking about a span of thousands of years. Proximity of your finds becomes meaningless without a clear recorded dig. Broken pieces are hard to date and some styles spanned ages. If you look at everything you have found at the site it may give you more insight. Even so, I have 80 or so points, pieces and tools from a single site that stretch back a couple thousand years right up to early 1900's.

It was within 50 yards of a river bank until they dug out a channel to make way for RR tracks and farming. Thanks for the response, I'm sure I will never really know but it's cool to hear others experienced opinions.

 

[dogfish]

Possible hints, could be in the material, paleo people had big ranges and access to high quality stuff, later people who were more settled made use of local lithics more. Check for heat treatment usually a later trait... none of these rules are absolute but good to point you in a direction.
For what it’s worth my hunch is woodland/Mississippian, the flaking seems a bit random and not super high quality material. but that’s a little hedged bet because that time period is the most abundant as far as artifacts go and probably the most visible dependent on landscape.

I think your hunch is accurate(West TN). I have found flakes from several types rock most of witch are not found within 50 miles that I know of. Unfortunately I have not been able to turn up any local info on Native American history other than just general stuff, almost like they didn't exist other than being able to find artifacts.

 

[dogfish]

I don't see enough key indicators on those pieces to date them--at least for my eyes. A complete base goes a long way in assessing typology.

This is the only complete piece I have to show. I found a spectacular point when I was very young but it disappeared over the years. This one was found by my brother a year or so ago.

 

[H.P.]

I am looking for some expertise on dating artifacts I found. I know I may not be able to get a clear answer but I found these broken points within 15 feet of each other and in the same spot that I can find a hand full of flakes and some hammer stones almost every time I search so it's clear to me that points were being made there but the two in the picture do not appear(to my inexperienced eye) to be from the same person or time frame. The white one appears much older and done with less skill than the other. I also realize maybe it is just because it is a different material that deteriorates faster. I have located debitage in two other areas close to this and along the same ridge leading me to think this may have been a community rather than just pass thru hunters. This is on my family farm so I am fascinated to learn what might have been there in the past. In the same spot I found these two points there is a washout about 2 feet deep and at about the 1 foot depth there is burned wood being exposed a little at a time and I know there have been a lot of forest fires in the past but due to is location among all of the artifacts I have found I wonder if it could be an old camp fire. Anyway, any info anyone can offer will be greatly appreciated.

View attachment 1878781

The reason for two different skill appearances is, the one on left was made from a flake, and therefore doesn’t have the oval cross section like the next one which was made from a biface that had an oval cross section.

 

[dogfish]

The reason for two different skill appearances is, the one on left was made from a flake, and therefore doesn’t have the oval cross section like the next one which was made from a biface that had an oval cross section.

Yes good point, and good eye to be able to pick that out just from a picture of one side but you are correct the one one the left is uniface.

 

[Fat]

The common “overstreet book” can help you with a time line in your general locality.

Dating artifacts...
A personal complement, “is that a new bowling ball bag” or “gosh, your hair does match your shoe color”
The saying I try to follow “candy is dandy but liquor is quicker”
The Oakridge brothers or the Statler boys sang it along time ago and it still rings true, “Older women are Beautiful lovers”

 

[H.P.]

The common “overstreet book” can help you with a time line in your general locality.

Dating artifacts...
A personal complement, “is that a new bowling ball bag” or “gosh, your hair does match your shoe color”
The saying I try to follow “candy is dandy but liquor is quicker”
The Oakridge brothers or the Statler boys sang it along time ago and it still rings true, “Older women are Beautiful lovers”

Giving away all your secrets are we, Lol.

 

[dogfish]

The common “overstreet book” can help you with a time line in your general locality.

Dating artifacts...
A personal complement, “is that a new bowling ball bag” or “gosh, your hair does match your shoe color”
The saying I try to follow “candy is dandy but liquor is quicker”
The Oakridge brothers or the Statler boys sang it along time ago and it still rings true, “Older women are Beautiful lovers”

Thanks for the recommendation I will check it out.