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Archy site I've been working on

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snedeker:
My bow production is down this summer cause I've been doing some real archaeology for a change. I'm a consultant and a lot of what I do is pretty routine bull.  We got to dig a site near Altoona PA though that I'm writing up the report on, that turned out pretty cool.  On a little hillside northeast (upwnd) of a stream confluence, used to be a spring next to it til the highway screwed it over.  People used is as a butchering and hideworking station it appears from late Paleo times through the Early Archaic (8,500-6,800 BC).   Couple dozen projectile point/knives (no bow/arrows then of course) that were very hard to diagnose.  Amazing how poorly known this area is archaeologically.  Did microwear studies  and ID'ed mostly hide working wear on tools.  Did protein residue studies and came up with a lot of dog and rodent type matches as opposed to dear - weird until a colleague told me about small mammal gut being a popular hafting wrap for prim hunters. Spatial distribution patterns showed a remarkable stablity of where things were done, surprising cause I think it was mulitple small visits foro 2000 years.  Did survey or stone tool material sources and matched up artifacts do exact sources with mass spectrometry analysis of trace elements.   they used a very high grade light tan chert, anbd its interesting cause in ensuing periods they stop usiing that and switch to a gray chert.  I know this cause we dug a site half km away 20 years ago and found later stuff and all gray chert.
These hunters would probably have been amused at the studies we did.  report due in 2 weeks and then maybe I cab get back into the wood pile.

Dave

Coo-wah-chobee:
   I find this very interestin Dave. Please update as ya can. Down here in florida the state and developers have been screwin' over everythin fer decades unless can be made inta a tourist trap of course !...........bob

GregB:

Interesting information, I once found a small point in the garden behind my parents house. I still have that point, and can't help but wonder as to its history.

D. Tiller:
Sound pretty cool Dave.  Worked on an Archy dig myself back arround 94 on the snake river in OR on a pre European community of pit houses dug into terraces allong the river valley. Found lots of Mattates and yellow and red chert points allong with many other artifacts. Fresh water was close by and lots of salmon bones along with deer and others were found. But the the majority was salmon since the snake has salmon runs in the fall. The opinion was that the village was part of a systematic round but I had my own theory that they were also farming corn in the valley across from the village which was situated in a chaperal canyon just off the river with a fresh source of water running through the small valley. Wish I could have gone back and do some more research.  Ahh but allas there seems to be little money in archealogy, now I make soap for a living!  ;D

David T

Hhop:
That is great information. Do you mean that you can determine what type of animal a stone blade was used to butcher or cut up, based upon protein residue? I would also love to get more information as you have it available.
Harold

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