M E T A L M A N 9

M E T A L M A N 9

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December 10, 2022 - First Nations Artifacts

December 10, 2022 - First Nations Artifacts

December 10, 2022 First Nations Artifacts. Notable quote: "Listen to the Wind, it speaks. Listen to the silence, it speaks. Listen to your Heart, it knows." Native American Proverb. Metal detecting is all about metal and about finding various kinds of metals in or on the ground. But it’s also about finding nonmetallic artifacts the old fashion way. It’s about developing “an Eye” for seeing things that a metal detector does not. I like to call this the “Human Element” to metal detecting. It’s inserting you into the art of discovery. The human element will greatly amplify what you and the metal detector can do so keep a sharp eye for what lays on the ground. The homesteads and fields that now make-up the family farm are just not rich in first nation artifacts. For whatever the reasons, I don’t know. I can only speculate. If one travels about 4 miles north, the farmer there, has over the years accumulated quite a collection of arrowheads and stone tools from on his land. Maybe that area was a better hunting ground. Maybe it was more of an open meadow and less dense forest or bush. Maybe that’s where the encampment or village was. One friend went as far as to suggest that there was less poison ivy over there. But for whatever the reason, I’m always grateful for what I can find. I hold these items with reverence and utmost respect. These artifacts were held and shaped and used by human hands so many eons ago. Totally utilitarian, yet they speak volumes. They come to us from a time and from a world that is long gone. Now that is food for thought. The following is a series of artifacts that I have had the good fortune to spot while out metal detecting. My first find was what I thought was a partial arrow head. I have been informed that it’s better categorized as a “Retouched Flake”. *Please see Sid and Pam’s notations at the end of the story* Found October 9, 2020 on River Lot # 153, Two Little Points Farm. It is to date the only such piece found on this property. The stone is flint with probable origins from the Knife River Quarries in North or South Dakota where a vast amount of this material was traded across North America before the arrival of the Europeans. Flint is also known as, and is a type of Chert. Stone tools and projectiles of this sort have been hand made for over 7,000 years. Unfortunately, it is not possible to date stone as such. The retouched flake style, the way it was flaked and its possible used might however offer some hint to the trained eye as to its possible age. See: Before last picture. October 9, 2020. Two Little Points Farm. The second lucky find, or should I say very very lucky find; a tiny pale blue bead. Again we are on River lot # 153. It’s not possible to date this artifact either. Carbon dating for example only works with what was once a living organism. The best estimates of age to this piece vary from the early 1800’s to possibly the 1950’s. It looks very much like what is referred to as a Venetian Glass Bead. See: April 5, 2021. Story also called: Two Little Points Farm. The third and my most recent find is a Hammerstone. I did not write about it in my post as I had yet to have the artifact looked at by the experts and I needed some confirmation of what it was. What caught my eye with this stone was its shape of course but more so the groove on its side. However, this same groove does not extend all the way around. The stone is granite which is not a soft rock to work with. Is this groove just a natural inclusion or is it man made? So off to the experts I go… again. And the verdict is Yes! This stone has the characteristic crushed crystals that one finds on rock, in this case granite that has been bashed and banged and used to pound with. Bashed and banged: not really scientific terms but you get the idea. A Hammerstone will have many functional uses such as the obvious like grinding corn or grain seeds or acorns into meal. A Hammerstone can also be used for breaking bone to get at the marrow and for de- fleshing hide. They can also be used to drive tent pegs and objects into the ground. This specific stone weighs in at 3 ¾ lbs. It’s rather heavy but it feels comfortable to hold. The inclusion, whether man made or of natural origin fits the hand nicely. It’s a nice feeling to hold history in such a direct way. Listen to the stone, it speaks. See: Oct 29, 2022. The Recipe. Roger References: Sid and Pam Kroker: Archeologists (Retired) https://albertashistoricplaces.com/2019/07/24/knife-river-flint- quarries-and-the-alberta-connection/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/tiny-blue-beads- european-artifact-north-america-old-180976966/ *Sid and Pam’s notations* Both Pam and I have reservations on calling the "arrowhead" an arrowhead. It looks like a flake detached from a core with a bulb of percussion at the thick end. The upper edge seems to have the micro-chipping that occurs from use as a cutting implement, while the lower edge also has some small use wear chips. The two notches (top and bottom) could be the result of purposeful chipping to provide grooves to attach the flake to a handle to use as a knife. If this is the case, we would categorize the artifact as a "retouched flake".