Camps

[bobbss]

I was wondering how big are most camps,and do you ever find camps very close to each other?

[OBION]

Cultures have changed a lot over 14,000 years so it would be hard to give one definitive answer. I have a Mississippian site that is almost 30 acres. I have some Archaic sites that are 3,000 sq ft high spots next to water sources. I have many areas with multiple sites, typically due to elevation changes ( above ancient flood levels) or natural springs.

[G10+]

Yes u r right , I have some very large sites that r along water ways , and some that r small and a ways from water and every thing in between ...... I would love to be in there mind set when they picked the places they did to camp ......

[JoshinMO]

I have noticed they liked a certain elevation, anyone else notice this? If not go to google earth and hover over the sites you found and compare elevations.

[JoshinMO]

And Yes Bob where you find one camp there is likely another nearby you can find if modern times has not covered them up. Might be a stone throw away or 1/8 a mile. Most camp's i have been to are about tennis court sized, give or take.

[painshill]

Some information from a previous discussion here:

http://forums.arrowheads.com/forum/general-discussion-gc5/native-american-culture-lifestyle-questions-discussion-gc141/153966-what-was-the-typical-population-of-ancient-camps

[BabaORiley]

The sites I have found or at least speculate were camps are from the Woodland/Mississippian era and are along waterways. Pottery shards, debitage and broken points are the clues. There is an elevation that at one time probably ran as a long ridge adjacent to a river. It has been farmed for over a century but you can still see where the seasonal flood line came and went. There are two more sites just upriver from there not very far away. The areas that I search are all agricultural areas now so I am limited to surface hunting as digging is illegal here I believe. The elevation theory does make sense Josh for many reasons. Its mostly flat here but these mentioned site are on slight elevations.

[bobbss]

Thanks everyone.I haven't had a lot of luck the last 3 times I went to my site I found,just a few more tools.Ive been thinking I may need to start giving it a few good rains in between hunts,and start looking for somemore sites.I only get enough time to hunt for about 2 hours or so at a time and have a hard time pulling myself away from the area I know I found some points.There is a few more areas near the site that looks like they may be a good place to look for camps but I will have to walk further in,and didn't know if it was rare to find camps near each other.Thank agin!

[bobbss]

I went out today for a few hours,and while I can't say that I've pinpointed another camp yet,I think I was close to pinpointing one but ran out of time.I found a few handfuls of chips and part of what I think was a blade,which I posted a few pictures over in What Did I Find,but it was spread out in a large area.I hope to get back out there soon,and find another site with as much chips as my other one.This was about a 1/4 mile from my other site,on the other side of the creek.

[filmiracl]

Don't know if this will help you, but I actually just put this together today so why not share it. I hunt one site and it's a known camp. As you can see, I find most stuff in certain areas, but other people have found stuff in the white empty space in the lower right over the years. These numbers represent points, broken and whole, and not other tools, flakes, etc. This seems to be a pretty large site (as you can see an inch is 250 ft)

[bobbss]

Don't know if this will help you, but I actually just put this together today so why not share it. I hunt one site and it's a known camp. As you can see, I find most stuff in certain areas, but other people have found stuff in the white empty space in the lower right over the years. This seems to be a pretty large site (as you can see an inch is 250 ft) [ATTACH=CONFIG]n225874[/ATTACH]

Thanks,it does help.Is this along a creek or river?

[filmiracl]

I should clarify that those numbers represents points, broken and whole... not other tools and flakes that I've found. It's along a river, but to the right of most obviously line of numbers are some fields and wooded area. I don't really hunt those parts much. There was an archaeological survey conducted on a small portion of this site and they found the usual, including two fire pits dated to two different periods. The area must have been used for quite some time..

Thanks,it does help.Is this along a creek or river?

[bobbss]

I should clarify that those numbers represents points, broken and whole... not other tools and flakes that I've found. It's along a river, but to the right of most obviously line of numbers are some fields and wooded area. I don't really hunt those parts much. There was an archaeological survey conducted on a small portion of this site and they found the usual, including two fire pits dated to two different periods. The area must have been used for quite some time..

Wow,I would love to find a site like that!

[filmiracl]

It's not as impressive as it may look based on that map... While I'm grateful for having this spot (it's the only place I've ever found stuff) most of those numbers represent broken points, tips, bases, etc.!

Wow,I would love to find a site like that!

[bobbss]

It's not as impressive as it may look based on that map... While I'm grateful for having this spot (it's the only place I've ever found stuff) most of those numbers represent broken points, tips, bases, etc.!

Well I've only found 2 almost whole points and 2 broken parts and a few tools,besides the chips,so your site still sound real good to me.lol!How long have you been hunting the site?I went back out for a few hours over the weekend but only found a few more chips.The area I'm hunting is a wooded creek,and the leaves are starting to fall,which is not helping much.lol!