lookatthat
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Post by lookatthat on May 10, 2018 8:31:42 GMT -5
And I wish I could tell you more. Found it last night just before dark, when the winds were calm. Right now i just hope and pray that the state archaeologist can salvage the site before it all gets washed away in the big waves we're having right now!
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Post by gmitch067 on May 10, 2018 9:01:30 GMT -5
What did you find??? no picture.
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
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Post by lookatthat on May 10, 2018 9:29:39 GMT -5
Nearly intact cache of preforms and reworked black chert pieces and who knows what else. I called in the state when I realized I couldn't reach the bottom of the cache and it could be a significant find. Very rare here to find basically intact sites in the water/shore environment -- normally only random pieces are found, often waterworn or washed in from other places -- no context, so they don't give much information archaeologically speaking.
Unfortuntely the wind came up very strongly during the night and the waves are surely disrupting the site this morning.
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inbtb
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Post by inbtb on May 10, 2018 11:40:27 GMT -5
A State would be helpful. Thanks
Les
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
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Post by lookatthat on May 10, 2018 13:36:42 GMT -5
Oh, sorry. Vermont. At last check, the archaelogists were dismayed by the waves, so we'll see how they do. Water temp right now is about 40 degrees.
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Post by fernwood on May 10, 2018 14:12:14 GMT -5
Soundss significant if State came out right away. Please keep us posted.
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Post by fantastic5 on May 10, 2018 14:44:47 GMT -5
Good for you for calling in the archaeologists! So many people would have just raided the cache and not thought a second thing about it.
I hope you did get some pictures, please share if you did!
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lookatthat
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Post by lookatthat on May 10, 2018 18:53:18 GMT -5
I directed them to the site by phone as I had marked it with sticks. Sounded like they found the spot, but I think they will try again tomorrow, as they didn't call me back again and they didn't seem to keen on trying to uncover a site by feel in 2-ft waves in 40 degree water.
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Post by grumpybill on May 18, 2018 14:15:57 GMT -5
Any update?
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Post by fernwood on May 18, 2018 17:00:03 GMT -5
Please?
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
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Post by lookatthat on Jun 7, 2018 19:49:53 GMT -5
Well, I think I got their attention today. I sent a picture of a couple of the goodies. Maybe they thought I was just a nut before. Of course, they have been a little occupied with the Revolution-era cemetery that was falling into the river.
Paleo Crowfield, anyone?
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Post by MsAli on Jun 7, 2018 19:53:35 GMT -5
Pictures please ?
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
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Post by lookatthat on Jun 7, 2018 20:04:32 GMT -5
This is going to found stupid, but now that i found my password for rockshow, how do I get there?
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lookatthat
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Post by lookatthat on Jun 7, 2018 20:20:19 GMT -5
Wait, Rockshow costs now? How did I miss that?
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Post by Pat on Jun 7, 2018 21:19:54 GMT -5
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Tommy
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Post by Tommy on Jun 7, 2018 23:38:49 GMT -5
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on Jun 18, 2018 12:09:11 GMT -5
OK, still no pictures (my internet has been unco-opertive)but let me give an update. Finally got together with the state archaeologist and we tried to find the stuff, all buried with sand. I'm like, "No, really! It's here! There's a lot!" Finally we hit the right layer, and there they were, a tight group of dark grey chert preforms. Then they believed me. We covered with a tarp, and reburied, and marked the spot.
Last Friday, they came out with all permissions and equipment, and away we went. Weather was perfect. Bad news is, looks like the cache is Middle Woodland rather than earlier as the first one looked. Good news is, there were several dozen intact preforms of various sizes and shapes, plus some broken pieces and a box full of fire-cracked rock. The group was so tight, it really seems that they were all together in a bag. The archaeologists said that the person who knapped them was very skilled and used some advanced techniques. A lot of work there for somebody. I wonder how all these piece came to be left behind and lost?
Finds of intact caches are very rare in Vermont. This was the first one that either archaeologist had ever excavated. I will be interested to read the paper on it when it comes out.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jun 18, 2018 14:05:30 GMT -5
OK, still no pictures (my internet has been unco-opertive)but let me give an update. Finally got together with the state archaeologist and we tried to find the stuff, all buried with sand. I'm like, "No, really! It's here! There's a lot!" Finally we hit the right layer, and there they were, a tight group of dark grey chert preforms. Then they believed me. We covered with a tarp, and reburied, and marked the spot. Last Friday, they came out with all permissions and equipment, and away we went. Weather was perfect. Bad news is, looks like the cache is Middle Woodland rather than earlier as the first one looked. Good news is, there were several dozen intact preforms of various sizes and shapes, plus some broken pieces and a box full of fire-cracked rock. The group was so tight, it really seems that they were all together in a bag. The archaeologists said that the person who knapped them was very skilled and used some advanced techniques. A lot of work there for somebody. I wonder how all these piece came to be left behind and lost? Finds of intact caches are very rare in Vermont. This was the first one that either archaeologist had ever excavated. I will be interested to read the paper on it when it comes out. Seems like the knapper must have been run off, died or killed. Good for you for preserving the site and alerting those in charge.
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lookatthat
Cave Dweller
Whatever there is to be found.
Member since May 2017
Posts: 1,360
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Post by lookatthat on Jun 18, 2018 14:31:23 GMT -5
Also I wonder, maybe he was canoeing across the lake to a meeting place, a sudden squall came up and tipped over the canoe, and the bag of preforms went to the bottom--? And the bag was buried in sand before it rotted...
Whatever the scenario, this person knapped the preforms, put them in the bag, and lost them. Was this person alone when he made them? Could it be that I was the first human other than the maker to see them for 1,200 years?
Gosh, I wish he'd left a note!
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Post by fernwood on Jun 18, 2018 15:17:15 GMT -5
Glad they were found. This is a great story of historical significance. Thank you for doing the right thing.
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