Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,462
|
Post by Sabre52 on Feb 26, 2009 10:03:16 GMT -5
Howdy folks, Well, I was hauling soil for the new butterfly garden yesterday and it got too darn hot, 86 degrees, so I went rock collecting down by the creek instead. Hunt started off kinda poorly as I found a pretty flint nodule, went to chip it with my hammer, had the chip fly up in the air and come down on my finger cutting it nicely. had to go back to the car for a bandage and came back to find a couple of guys that looked like they were about to kill a couple of snakes they had identified as Water Moccasins. They were actually the rather beautiful blotched water snake ( non poisonous) so I managed to save them from harm. Then I saw a lizard which may be a rare one I'm supposed to be looking for, for a fish and game study and of course, didn't have my camera *sigh*. Well, anyway, guess I got good karma for saving the snakes because I immediately found a small crude knife and a couple of other large artifacts plus a really nice fossil gastropod Turritella? about 2 1/2 inches long. Anyway, here are a couple of pics. Thanks for lookin....Mel The artifacts: Small 4" knife or scraper,a big core and a large hand ax or scraper: My snail:
|
|
|
Post by sitnwrap on Feb 26, 2009 10:16:32 GMT -5
That's what you get for being a good deed doer That gastopod is awesome.
|
|
|
Post by parfive on Feb 26, 2009 18:09:52 GMT -5
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,462
|
Post by Sabre52 on Feb 26, 2009 18:23:25 GMT -5
Wow, thanks for posting that great article Rich! Amazing bunch of artifacts and what a story the testing and origin of the raw materials told too. I love reading about that kind of stuff and man what a fine piece of workmanship that big biface knife is....Mel
|
|
|
Post by johnjsgems on Feb 26, 2009 21:48:33 GMT -5
Mel, if you get lonely saving snakes and finding fossils I'll be in San Antonio/Austin area a few weeks in Mar/Apr.
|
|
|
Post by sitnwrap on Feb 26, 2009 22:28:02 GMT -5
That's what you get for being a good deed doer That gastopod is awesome. Mel, I just realized that may not have come out as I intended. I meant you got cool rocks for your snake saving deed, not a cut finger.
|
|
SteveHolmes
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since July 2009
Posts: 1,900
|
Post by SteveHolmes on Feb 26, 2009 23:23:57 GMT -5
Great finds Mel! Glad the snake Gods smiled down upon you. I was thinking maybe...just maybe...I might venture for a little hike this weekend. That is a very fascinating article Rich. Especially since Camels and Horses play into the part...13,000 years ago!!! Steve
|
|
|
Post by texaswoodie on Feb 27, 2009 8:39:26 GMT -5
Nice finds Mel. I always look at an artifact I find and wonder who was the last person to touch it. Why was it left behind? Was the owner killed? Had to leave in a hurry? So many questions.
Curt
|
|
franzibear
starting to spend too much on rocks
Let's rock
Member since October 2008
Posts: 139
|
Post by franzibear on Feb 27, 2009 12:36:26 GMT -5
Awesome stuff! And, is it just me, or is 86 degrees hot even in Texas for February?
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,462
|
Post by Sabre52 on Feb 27, 2009 14:10:55 GMT -5
Franzi: Just got back from my walk today and it feels even hotter than yesterday. I think Texas is kinda like California, it can pretty much be hot anytime of the year *S*. I remember a Cady Mountains trip on the California desert in December when it was in the 90's. I like heat so that's fine with me. I absolutely cannot handle cold though....Mel
|
|
darrad
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since September 2006
Posts: 1,636
|
Post by darrad on Feb 27, 2009 21:01:37 GMT -5
Looks like you and the snakes had a good day.( Except for the finger) The tools and the whole or almost whole snail are great but saving the snakes was better. So many people think they should be killed just because they are snakes. Boy it riles me every time I come across that situation! (sorry for the rant)
|
|
|
Post by bobby1 on Feb 28, 2009 0:12:26 GMT -5
Mel, Great finds! Do any of the stone tools have the feel of a left handed tool? Of the many that I have acquired about 10% are distinctly crafted for leftys. Bob
|
|
Fossilman
Cave Dweller
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,681
|
Post by Fossilman on Feb 28, 2009 8:41:46 GMT -5
Is that gastopod set in limestone?
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,462
|
Post by Sabre52 on Feb 28, 2009 9:12:32 GMT -5
fossil: Yep, in Edwards formation limestone....Mel
|
|
|
Post by beefjello on Mar 1, 2009 20:02:50 GMT -5
Wow, great finds Mel.. and whatta killer read Rich! Hope I'm lucky enough someday to dig up some sorta ancient cache of some sort
|
|
Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,462
|
Post by Sabre52 on Mar 1, 2009 20:19:28 GMT -5
Beef: Down around the Gila River near Gila bend is one of the greatest cache areas around. Locals found huge caches of Yuma points when they were planting some of those citrus orchards. Saw some photos once that were really incredible....Mel
|
|