Missouri Rock Shelter Dig - Active Thread

[BenK88]

I'll go ahead and post this up so you all can follow along with me as I continue this thread. I will keep it updated and hope to add some more great stuff to it before it is said and done, so be sure to come back through when you see something new posted! Here are the two best frames (best of the best in black). Also a good portion of the nicer blades, tools, and preforms found at the site. Also added a picture of lots of animal bones, mussel shells, turtle shell fragments, and pottery from the site in addition to a few chunks of hardstone which has been surprisingly rare at this site. I'll be adding some other stuff in more detail and some that I found and gave to the landowner eventually as well. Feel free to add any comments on anything you see. Thanks!

[BenK88]

[BenK88]

[Lindenmeier-Man]

You’ve got some great artifacts from the shelter.. How much is left to dig? A good gesture to give the land owner some of the finds, I’ve done that. It keeps the relations in a good place.. I really like the bones, shells, hardstone, teeth, horns, and knapping tools frame the best because it so different.. JJ

[JoshinMO]

Welcome to The Site Ben! I used to check this out on The other Forum while back, and am glad You are continuing to share this Research and The Artifact's.

[BenK88]

Thanks guys. Almost all of the area underneath the actual overhang has been dug. I was hopeful for the last corner but it seems to be mostly large sandstone boulders that fell from the sidewall and ceiling sometime during the early to middle archaic transition given what I have found. If i can get around that and get under a little bit more there could be some treasure hiding underneath those boulders for sure. However, there is still a significant amount of area out in front and down the slope that is still producing lots of flint, bone, and the occasional point and tool. There are also two actual cave entrances nearby where a couple test holes turned up some stuff, but landowner would like to keep that for his future generations which I respect and understand. I've gotten the OK though to dig some more spots up on top of the cave and surrounding areas. Truth be told, there are probably thousands more artifacts in the general vicinity.

[south fork]

I remember your post when you started that overhang / rock shelter nice collection .

[BenK88]

Heh, yea I didn't know much back then. Also had no idea how great this would turn out to be.

[BenK88]

Anyone care to venture a guess on type for the dark maroon point in the black frame, second from left on top row? I'll let some guesses fly before I provide context.

[redrocks]

Nice finds man. .

[BenK88]

Here's a couple better pics of the one in question. I think it is a Kirk given the strata in which it was found, but its a funny one. Also have no idea on the material type...only of it that I've found there. I've had several people on social media try to tell me this one was fake. It is literally impossible that it's fake lol.

Also, figured I would share the one and only bone awl I've found at the site (so far) too.

[sailorjoe]

Hi Ben. An amazing collection of Early Archaic/Trans Paleo types plus some maybe a bit later. The one in the last pic looks like a Kirk CN. I'm not good at lithics ID so don't have a good opinion on that only a WAG so I'll stay quiet. I see other Kirks as well such as Kirk straight/serrated in those frames. Also see Big Sandys, Daltons and other really old points. The point that interests me the most is in the first frame. It is on the bottom row, 2nd from left, tan color. It looks much like a Beaver Lake. If so this would push the site real close to Paleo. Many of the points are knives, but that one is clearly a dart point. Outstanding!

[BenK88]

Thanks for your comments sailorjoe. The tan one you are referring to is a pretty classic dalton. Cool thing is that it's really more of an orange in natural light. Here's a pic of it after I pulled it out of the wall and brushed it off. It was in a sandy layer near the bottom so didn't take much to clean it.

[sailorjoe]

This photo more clearly shows it to be a Dalton and not a Beaver Lake as I first thought. A super great specimen.

[BenK88]

Hi Ben. An amazing collection of Early Archaic/Trans Paleo types plus some maybe a bit later. The one in the last pic looks like a Kirk CN. I'm not good at lithics ID so don't have a good opinion on that only a WAG so I'll stay quiet. I see other Kirks as well such as Kirk straight/serrated in those frames. Also see Big Sandys, Daltons and other really old points. The point that interests me the most is in the first frame. It is on the bottom row, 2nd from left, tan color. It looks much like a Beaver Lake. If so this would push the site real close to Paleo. Many of the points are knives, but that one is clearly a dart point. Outstanding!

Kirk CN definitely makes sense on the red one. It's one of my favorites for sure! Basically there seems to have been a very heavy early archaic occupation, followed by a relative lull during the middle archaic, then again a major uptick again during the late archaic and early woodland. I've found no Mississippian era stuff here which is interesting. So the scientist in me asks why it was more heavily occupied during those times. Current theory is that during wetter periods, there was likely a steady stream of water from a little spring that lies right next to the overhang. At times that is still the case but I could see it being dry during hot dry climate eras. If I'm not mistaken the late Paleo through early archaic was very wet in my part of the country, and then warm and wet during the late archaic. This is what really gets me going about this stuff. I can see climate trends first hand when I put the pieces together. Please do correct me if I'm wrong on the climate patterns I mentioned.

[sailorjoe]

I'd have to re-read some literature to comment with certainty about the climate during some of the major cultural periods. But if I remember correctly during the mid Archaic there was a longer drier period in the mid west and southeast. Along the Tennessee River where I use to hunt there developed some huge shell middens. I was told or read that river levels were much lower which allowed easier harvesting of shellfish. We would commonly refer to the artifacts we found in these areas as "shell mound archaic. It makes sense that springs and other groundwater sources would be reduced as habitation sites needed to be relatively close to water and people would be drawn to such areas at least on a seasonal basis.

[Jethro355]

Beautiful stuff, Ben...Ron Kelly might be able to help with the lithic on that maroon beauty....

[BenK88]

Thank you for the compliment and glad everyone is enjoying seeing it. It's the only shelter I've ever dug so I have nothing to compare it to. From others I've read about though it seems it is really an upper tier site. Is Ron Kelly a member here?

[Jethro355]

Yes, Ron is a member, and him or PK Frey, or maybe Hoss (he just has an eye for stuff and has handled so much), they probably know as much about lithics as anybody on this planet.

[Jethro355]

*not to slight any of the rest of the knowledgeable members here, we have plenty, these are the first folks to come to mind, and Ron has an intimate knowledge of rocks from the inside out, so to speak.

[BenK88]

Sailorjoe that's what I remember reading as well. Also, I think the water table was very high through the early archaic due to the effects of the ending ice age still lingering. I really nerd out on this stuff...wife doesn't care much lol so it's good to have these conversations with you guys.