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I did not know we had snow coming last night. Making it a lucky break that my friend Glen and I got back out to the drawn down pond yesterday. Might be our last hunt there before the water is raised once more. It was a good hunt, with everything found on a big sand flat, and all within just a few minutes of each other. I found three pieces related to the so-called Susquehanna tradition. These included two Susquehanna Broadpoints, one essentially complete, made of the quartzite most common to this site, and a broken example of argillite. I also found a Dudley variety of a Mansion Inn blade, tip broken, and made of an unknown silvery material. Attractive stuff, but don't know the lithic. Watertown and Dudley varieties of Mansion Inn Blades are often seen as unnotched preforms for large and small Susquehannas, respectively.
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Rhode Island -
One thing I don't like is skunking the guy who was kind enough to show me this site in the first place. So I was elated when Glen spotted a decent Middle Archaic Neville, made of that nice quartzite again. Neville's with tiny bifurcations in the stem are regarded as the earliest form of that type, at roughly 8000 years. It was right next to my foot, but he spotted it first. Good thing, lol....
While he was picking up his Neville, I picked up what looked like nothing really. But it turned into the bit of a gouge, made of some attractive hardstone, and total polish. Gosh, that must have bummed the native, and I'll bet the rest is nearby someplace. We could not cross over to an adjacent sand flat that we absolutely knew must have had plenty to pick up. Unfortunately, no hip huggers to cross over the water separating us from the next sand bar. But, you have to be very careful as well. The first time I took my wife to this location, she mis stepped and sank in "quicksand" up to her hips!! I thought I was going to have to call rescue, but I got her out one leg at a time.
If we are lucky, the snow will melt before the water level is raised. But, a bigger storm coming for this weekend. We may not get one more chance before Spring....Rhode Island -
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Some good solid finds there, I too like the Susquehanna's. Cool gouge - You got the best end of it, hope you get the rest later!If the women don\'t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.Comment
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That was a heck of a trip. You both made some really cool finds.\"Of all the things I\'ve lost, I miss my mind the most.\"Comment
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Hey Charlie, That had to be a fun hunt. Many good finds but that gouge is a real beauty.Michigan Yooper
If You Don’t Stand for Something, You’ll Fall for AnythingComment
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Great points! The groove on the gouge is awesome!Comment
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Great hunt Charlie, nice varied group of artifacts.Comment
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Atta boy Charlie. Solid finds.Montani Semper LiberiComment
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Another great hunt from there. I too hope you get in there again, particularly after a good rain. That gouge, wow!Searching the fields of NW Indiana and SW MichiganComment
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I would love to find a gouge...whole or half. Makes a nice addition to the collection.Comment
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Kickin myself for not spending a lot more time looking for the rest of the gouge! Thinking about it, seems likely both pieces would have been left right where it broke....Rhode IslandComment
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You guys did well.Comment
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CMD: Great finds! Interesting to find in drained pond. We find points in dry or drawn down lakes out west, but never ponds. Guess a small lake is a pond or large pond could be a lake!?!? Maybe I need to pay more attention to ponds and small lakes instead of the 100-400 square mile dry lakes we hunt out in the high deserts of the West! 😜Congrats!In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks. -John MuirComment
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Nice finds for sure! Looks like you got to do this hunt "in the nick of time". I'm curious about the pond being "drawn down". Is the pond man made with a water level control structure? I've never visited in your area but I always thought that the ponds in the New England area were mostly glacially formed and not subject to drawn down (unless a pond that has a natural stream outlet may have a dam installed and thereby having the ability to somewhat control water levels). In areas where I've lived that have glacially formed ponds and lake most water level fluctuations are dictated by seasonal differences in rain, runoff and drought. Sign me as "Just Curious in Alabama".Comment
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