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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 10, 2010 10:12:15 GMT -5
A few things I collected from an Indiad flaking ground in the 1950's. High desert area of Southern California. The material used isn't native to the area, so had to have been carried in from some distance. The area is now a protected site, with no collecting allowed. Don
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agatemaggot
Cave Dweller
Member since August 2006
Posts: 2,195
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Post by agatemaggot on Jun 14, 2010 22:39:38 GMT -5
That is a nice group of Bifaces. I find one now and then, but, not a group like that ! That does look like you found an area where they were mining and preparing blanks.
Harley
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 15, 2010 9:07:03 GMT -5
The Indians weren't mining the material where these were found. Chert isn't native to this area. Only some colorful jasper and petrified palm. They must have carried this in from quite a distance away. Remains of the camp, and some rock drawings were found less than 1/4 mile from the flaking area. Don
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Post by mohs on Jun 15, 2010 12:20:51 GMT -5
So you have identified the material as chert? As I understand that is very rare material in the South Western part of the U.S. Not impossible to find, not great quality & certainly not abundant.
I live by the Ho Ho Kam Indians ruins (Pueblo Grande Museum) in Phoenix. The Ho Ho Kam would travel great distances & trade to find decent material for knapping points. That surprised me- cause I figured the immediate area of Phoenix to have abundant resources for such tools. Apparently not. Even obsidian, which is, as I understand, native to the Superstition Mountains, is difficult to locate.
Anyway that’s a real interesting find! One I’d like stumble upon! ed
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Post by jakesrocks on Jun 15, 2010 12:43:04 GMT -5
This is in the high desert of Southern California. Guess You could almost call it central Cal. Myself and a friend spent several weekends in the area, and never found the source of the chert. That's why I said that the material must have been hauled in. Found a spear point in the same area that was from a different material. Either flint or a very dark agate. Don
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AGATEGRRRL
spending too much on rocks
AGATEGRRRL
Member since October 2007
Posts: 466
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Post by AGATEGRRRL on Jun 29, 2010 9:17:51 GMT -5
Wow, nice collection. I too have found quite a bit of flaked material in the high desert in CA & in AZ where I live. In both CA & AZ, they were mining it in the areas that I found it in. Beautiful agate & jasp-agate. It's funny - it seems that they were much like us, picking the most beautiful material for their tools. I guess we all like pretty rocks, eh?
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Post by gaetzchamp on Jul 7, 2010 12:03:58 GMT -5
How were these bifaces typically used? They don't look very aerodynamic so I'm guessing they're more likely to be used as a knife.
Very cool finds. How do you display them?
gaeter
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Post by jakesrocks on Jul 7, 2010 12:16:55 GMT -5
These were in the initial stages of being shaped. Most are large flakes which had been knocked off of a larger rock. Some show signs of some flaking on the back side. These were either discarded for some reason, or the work was interrupted for unknown reasons. When I can find it, I'll post a pic of a mostly intact spear point which I found less than 1/4 mile from where these were found. The spear point is from a different material. I should have put a quarter with these, to guage actual size by. Don
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