Long distance trade in manufactured projectiles.

[tomf]

I posted about California obsidian projectiles found in Tennessee. That's over 2300 miles of travel.
I've never heard of a longer distance, so I'm canvassing the forum for other examples of extra long distance trade. Particularly of ready-made projectiles. Can be documented or anecdotal.

Google produced an interesting research from Siberia.
https://siberiantimes.com/science/ca...st-8000-years/

Though this is less than half distance of Anadale glass.

[tomf]

https://texasbeyondhistory.net/st-plains/prehistory/images/distant.html

[Hal Gorges]

👍

[Garguy]

There is pretty good evidence of a few south American paleo points ending up in texas

[Cecilia]

I mentioned in comment prior post Obsidian Travels that knew of several authors who write about this very subject, specifically, obsidian points (not raw lithic) that have allegedly traveled long distance. There are a coupla articles wanna share, but first is article https://www.researchgate.net/publica...ley_of_Vermont subject of which prehistoric point from Great Basin found in Vermont (smaller point on left):



This point was determined to be authentic but not trade item. Read criteria used before authors’ 👎 decision re trade-journey was made. Of, course after pronouncing this, they speculated how collector (Mr. Coane) came to find it in Vermont, and ended with a quote from noted archeologist from 1830s Arthur Parker:

“How the point arrived in his collection and became labeled as it did is an open question. Coane's catalog entry for the northern Mexico point seems to accurately reflect its geological source, and no other artifacts in his collection seem to be deliberate forgeries or misrepresentations. We see little reason to believe that Coane himself misrepresented the point's provenience, particularly when we consider that he used his collection as an education instrument for local school children.

One possibility to explain the evidence at hand is that the point truly was picked up on the shore of the Connecticut River. Simply because Coane found the artifact within the borders of Vermont does not necessarily mean that it was brought there prehistorically. As early as 1939 Arthur C. Parker was finding Mexican, Danish, Chinese, and Polynesian artifacts in the stream banks of New York, tinds that he attributed to the "peculiar habit of omnivorous collectors whose surviving relatives either throwaway their hoardings, or leave them in crumbling cottages and camps" (Parker 1939). The Coane point could very well represent a similar find.”


The underlined part of this passage is my favorite part! Let it be a warning to all you “omnivorous” pointheads: make a will, otherwise your collection may come to sad, ignoble end at hand of your more callous or uncaring heirs !!

[tomf]

This report is perfect contribution to the thread. Thanks, Cecilia.
Not surprised that old collections hold anomalous mysteries. I suspect many are the result of bad memory and sloppy curating.
Always interested to see them investigated properly because you never know when something important may be discovered.
The Tennessee finds would fail test criteria Vermont study used, probably rightly so.

[Artifascination]

There was a large obsidian bipointed blade and obsidian scraper found at the Spiro Mounds in Oklahoma. The Spiro has evidence of long distance trade from just about every part of the U.S. and into Mexico. It’s amazing the distance that some materials traveled to be traded.

[Cecilia]

Yes! Same authors (or part of the group they “run” with) wrote article re that artifact. I will try to find in a lil’ while….

[utilized flake]

Apparently an obsidian point was found in town creek mound in southern NC. Wish that glass could be sourced. I would bet that it's in a basement of a museum. I'll search for some publication on it! Funny! First page on Google had a post by Cecilia where Sugaree posted a picture of it. I'm computer and hyperlink illiterate, or I would link that one!

[Cecilia]

Cool! (Hope I didn’t sound stupid!)

[utilized flake]

No way! You is smart, you is kind, you is important! And Cici don't burn chicken!