Author Topic: Personal ABO finds  (Read 5079 times)

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Offline nclonghunter

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Personal ABO finds
« on: December 06, 2015, 11:25:23 pm »
When I was younger I spent many hours walking fields and looking along the river banks. All the finds came from the Ohio River area between Huntington and Point Pleasant West Virginia....enjoy

I had a couple drift punches and never new what they were. Was told they were gaming pieces. The picture of the two blades are a real one and the white one I made in honor of the real one. The yellow blade came from the Ohio River bank along the waters edge. I was told the bone face is a hair pin????The black point was also found along the waters edge and is believed to have tumbled in the gravel for a long time and gave it a smooth finish. The black pieces around the bone face is coal shaped into teeth and are called canine coal. They were used for necklaces or decoration.
There are no bad knappers, only bad flakes

Offline nclonghunter

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #1 on: December 06, 2015, 11:28:27 pm »
couple more views
There are no bad knappers, only bad flakes

Offline JackCrafty

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2015, 01:36:55 am »
All awesome finds!  Those coal artifacts are fantastic (I've never seen those).

The subject of "drift" punches is fascinating and there are several theories.  I'm probly going to get flak for this but I've never bought the idea that these are knapping tools.

In my opinion, they look like tools used to maintain piercings of the ears, nose, and/or lips.  You know, everyday items that take the place of really long and fancy things that are worn on special occasions.  Maybe they were also used in flintknapping but I don't see it.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2015, 01:41:55 am by JackCrafty »
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Offline iowabow

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2015, 01:54:03 am »
Are those items with the quarter antler?
(:::.) The ABO path is a new frontier to the past!

Offline iowabow

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2015, 01:56:55 am »
If so then they are the same lengh as my ishi stick bits when they need replaced.
(:::.) The ABO path is a new frontier to the past!

Offline caveman2533

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2015, 06:31:39 am »
All those are cool. Did you find the antler pieces on the surface.  Almost never find antler artifacts on the surface here there is some coal artifacts like that here. I believe it is properly called cannel coal.  Are the two large points Sedalia?

Offline nclonghunter

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2015, 08:45:10 am »
All awesome finds!  Those coal artifacts are fantastic (I've never seen those).

In my opinion, they look like tools used to maintain piercings of the ears, nose, and/or lips.  You know, everyday items that take the place of really long and fancy things that are worn on special occasions.  Maybe they were also used in flintknapping but I don't see it.

Thank you, they were found in WV which is coal rich so they used what was available for jewelry.


I believe it is possible they used antler for knapping and jewelry. Folks still do today. It does seem interesting that they would highly poilish an antler for knaping, so I do think they were used for both.



Are those items with the quarter antler?

Yes the two pegs are diffidently antler. The smaller rough piece may be bone or antler, but I think antler.



All those are cool. Did you find the antler pieces on the surface.  Almost never find antler artifacts on the surface here there is some coal artifacts like that here. I believe it is properly called cannel coal.  Are the two large points Sedalia?

All these are surface finds. I had a secret location that was plowed and mussel shells could be seen in a big circle. After a rain I would crawl on hands and knees very slowly and would find small pieces. I am told it was a trash pit. The white point I made to replicate the yellow/brown real point. Just looking at Sedalia points on the web, they seem to all have a squared base which my find does not. Otherwise it does look like a Sedalia.


First time trying to cut the quote and paste. Hope it works.


« Last Edit: December 07, 2015, 08:48:55 am by nclonghunter »
There are no bad knappers, only bad flakes

Offline Josh B

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2015, 10:20:47 am »
That's a nice little collection you have there.  I've never been good at finding stuff like that.  The bone face really caught my eye.  Josh

Offline JEB

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #8 on: December 09, 2015, 10:42:56 am »
Very nice collection. This ABO thing has me a bit confused which solidifies my wife's assessment of me BUT what is an ABO made object.  If you are talking about antler and bone made points only what about artifacts made way back when in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. I am sure using copper came into play.

Offline nclonghunter

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #9 on: December 09, 2015, 10:58:38 am »
Hey JEB, after I posted it as ABO finds I thought I should not have but no real harm done. To "me" the term ABO is things made long ago by using stone,bone, clay or wood which would be all natural materials. It is used more for stone and antler knapping here. Hope that helps some.
There are no bad knappers, only bad flakes

Offline Josh B

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2015, 10:59:41 am »
That's a good question JEB.  In my mind, even if the artifact is made of copper the fact that it was made by aboriginal people makes it ABO.  Probably not the answer your looking for, but that's my view.  Josh

Offline JEB

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Re: Personal ABO finds
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2015, 11:43:37 am »
As dad used to say, "no such thing as a dumb question" We are all learning here, even me at 66. LOL