Possible camp site?

[I'mJoshin-PA]

Ok guys I need some opinions. I'm still quite new at this hobby but today I decided to walk the creek bank behind my house. I came across this and realized I may have found something pretty special but I don't wanna get my hopes up too quickly.This is located in a washed out bank by a small stream about a half mile from a good sized river and a spot where I recently found some points. The rocks are definitely brittle and much redder than any others in the bank that I could find... So is this what I think it is? Did i find a native american fire pit or is it something else? Please be honest with me!

 

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[CreekSide]

Looks like there was a fire at one time but I couldn’t say if it was natural or man made. I’ve never actually dug before so maybe someone else will know better.

 

[newnan man]

I have found a lot of charcoal in Florida bit it was not in a vein like that. So many natural wildfires here I nevet paid them much attention. Show us the arrowheads you found.

 

[I'mJoshin-PA]

I recently posted pictures of some of the points I found a half mile from the spot where this is located. I'll link that in below...

Here's two that I found today...

 

[I'mJoshin-PA]

My first post on this thread may have been a bit misleading the way I said it. I didn't find the points where this potential camp site was but instead it was a half mile away. I didn't make that clear and I apologize...

 

[Blackfoot58]

I wonder if the black and red coloration is iron staining from concentrations in the creek when it was at a higher level. Possibly some clay base also.
Interesting site to investigate, for certain.

 

[tamrock]

There are a few videos online about the identification of ancient NA fire pits. Researching about some of the sites that archeologist have excavated local to where I live, it will mention the initial discovery was first by finding evidence of a fire pit.

 

[ToddsPoint]

That’s called a charcoal lens. A side view of an old fire ring you’re seeing due to erosion. The state dug a huge barrow pit in the IL River bottom at Winchester, IL when they built the new bridge across the river. You could see the charcoal lenses in many locations at different levels on the side walls of the pit. Flood deposits covered the old ones over and over. The most recent lenses were 17’ below present ground level. You should be able to find flint chips in that deposit if it’s an old Indian fire ring.

 

[I'mJoshin-PA]

Thanks for the info! I will definitely investigate it some more asap to see if I can find flint etc... but today is Christmas so I've got other plans today... I''ll post on here what I find once I get a chance to look around some more. Merry Christmas to all of you!

 

[dirstscratcher]

It's almost impossible to tell what it is without exposing more of it. I have excavated both hearths and natural charcoal deposits. The red is where the heat from the fire heated the iron content of the clay turning it red. It could be a stump burn out and the fire followed a root. Or it could be a hearth. Look for fire cracked rock in the charcoal, as well as bits of nut shells. Nut shells often survived cooking fires relatively intact. From the top, hearths usually have a defined perimeter whereas tree stump burnouts may have an irregular shape where the fire started to follow a root. My experience is that archaic hearths seldom if ever contain anything more than charcoal, rocks, and sometimes nuts. I have yet to find an artifact. As you move into the woodland era however, especially late woodland, where the lifestyle was more permanent, hearths may have become trash pits and you may find anything in them.