Hi Mate, nice story and find. At first from the pic, and before I started reading-it looked like an early Ax head. This gets me to thinking though, I wonder how many cases out there where Natives might have found things like this and simply just used them? I wonder if that's ever been considered? ;-))
I reckon it's a definite possibility myself, but an electron microscope might be able to detect subtle differences in the way cutting edges were developed that can't be seen with the naked eye. Who knows?
Hi Mate, that's definately true. I remember a few years ago, that someone on a "dig" found human excrement and which was in great condition too. They were able to test some of it to find out what that person had for their last meal. Though im not normally interested in what that kind of remains contains but, it was interesting that after what? several thousand r more years, they could tell exactly what a person ate.
Back when I was taking my limited graduate school semesters, I had one class with Jack Horner over at Montana State University. I was slanted toward archaeology, but the two disciplines have overlapping applications. One being the way to set up a "dig". That has nothing to do with this, I just remembered it when you mentioned the "human excrement". Horner was giving a lecture about a couple of the pioneers in his field. Othniel Marsh and Edward Cope were bitter rivals in the field of paleontology in the 19th Century, and spent a great deal of time in the Montana/Dakota/Wyoming areas. While deeply involved in the rivalry they each tried to destroy the other’s reputation. In the best "move" of all (in my opinion), Marsh named fossilized dung Coprolite. When queried on his choice of the name, he responded and defended the name choice in that the resemblance of the name to his rival Cope was purely coincidental; as "kopros" means dung and lithikos means stone in Greek and he only altered the "k" to a "c" for ease of pronunciation in English. Horner would sort of snort and go "riiiight".
Hi Clint, that is a shame that two leaders I such a field, have a bitter rivalry which does absolutly no good towards Paleontology. Even the Museum I violunteered for, has it's rivals too. These in particular, were "in"-fighting over something discovered on an old Spanish Shipwreck that they were assigned to work at. I was there when they discovered somekind of container that had over 13,000 and very tiny dark blue glass beads in it. One might think what's so special about that find? but apparently those beads were meant to go to the Spanish Queen and to be part of one of her costumes and such. Well, I don't remember much about what started their fighting about those beads-but it was something as small as one of those beads. Needless to say, their work continues on that Spanish Shipwreck. I forgot the name of the ship found-otherwise i'd post it here so any interested can find what we have on it-on the internet. There are-or were? some 40 or so pictures of the shipwreck and of artifacts found there.
I wish I could go my friend. I'd love to show off what they have. Also, if I still had access to the Museum Computers, I could let you "in" to see all their fossile collections. One that I always liked studying was one that had a Stegasaurus's footprint perfectly preserved in a large block of Sandstone??? I think??? That in itself is a miracle since Sandstone is easily dissolvable. I'd love to be able to give you a tour of hat they have stored in Colections that will probably never make it out on display. Some of the stuff would blow your mind-such as them havinga perfectly preserved 1895 Colt "Potato Digger" Machinegun mounted on a carriage as well as its companion Ammo carriage. This thing still has its instruction booklets and other manuels. They have another "Potato Digger" but this one is rusted all over and not a working weapon-like its Cousin on that carriage ;-))
That would be some tour mate! Think this will interest you- MSU Archaeology Team’s latest find: 16,000-year-old sand dune | MSU News | Michigan State University
Hi Mate, it sure would be, and great to compare notes. You know, that was interesting to read abotu that underground-or under tree roots-Sand Dune. I was imagining something akin to what you might see in the Sahara Desert ;-)) You know, I think we both missed our calling ;-)) At one time I was very "into" Dinosaurs and such. The more I think about it, the more I wished I had taken at College-the courses I would need for a degree in Museum Science ;-))
Very true about the missed vocations, methinks! Here's another snippet btw- http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09266/1000076-115.stm
Hi Mate, their findings woudn't surprise me much, adn the Fossil Fuel areas that they could find as well. The Guld IS a rich place. After all, that's where a SPanich Shipwreck tat was found that I was lucky enough to be bale to go to a few Digs one. This is the one where we found a container full of tiny glass beads which we figured had to have belonged tp the Spanish Queen and was probably meant for one of her dresses/costumes.
Hi Gordon, thanks for the great link ;-)) As a matter of coincidence-I recently heard something about ancient Buffalos. I wrote some notes down somewhere and meant to tell you about it. Ill try finding those notes and will let you know what it was, if I can ever get organized ;-))
Hi Gordon, thanks for the great read. I had seen something recently on Tv-can't remember which station? but they had soemthing to do with finding the remains of a giant Lizzard as well as a more miniature-like Stegasaurus (SP?) remains in a cave. Ill see if I can remember more about it and will try to see if these stories are online somewhere? Take care mate--C. PS, reps for that story ;-))