Chips

[Gmink]

When looking for a prospective site, how many chips is enough? How many chips are present before a site is considered a good one? We have found a few chips, burnt sandstone, and a few points. This has all been found a couple of hundred yards from a spillway that runs off a watershed lake. Are we wasting our time? It just seems like you have to search a long time before you find something. I guess I am asking should there be an abundance of chips in a certain area?

[cgode]

The more flakes you find the merrier I say. If your finding worked rock or debitage from artifact production I'd be looking there on a regular basis, especially after a rain......Keep your eyes to the ground and they will pop out at ya!......oh, and welcome to the forum.

[Gmink]

Thank You!

[paleoman]

Now to me sometimes TOOO many flakes or chips means a quarry and about all I've found are a few performs or broken performs. I have found a couple of sites where it looks like they mined flint and only made performs to carry back. If I can find them I have picture of tree blow downs where the root balls are just chocked full of large percussion flakes... even flakes pushed up by large Oak trees and sticking out of the moss around the base. Really cool looking.
Anyone else find this true?

[mootsman]

I've hunted a five acre quarry site several times. There are literally thousands of flakes on the surface; however, even after hunting it after rains I've only found one exhausted archaic knife and the center section of a broken bi-face.

I think you answered your own question about the site when you said you had found "a few points." If you are finding points keep going. It only takes one to be a sensational find. Good luck!

[eddies]

i would say , if you find points. go back again and again./ imo

[Scotto]

If you are finding points where you find the flakes, keep looking. Somebody probably picked up the surface stuff already, but more washes out. Can you dig test holes at all?

Originally Posted by paleoman

If I can find them I have picture of tree blow downs where the root balls are just chocked full of large percussion flakes... even flakes pushed up by large Oak trees and sticking out of the moss around the base.

I'd like to see that pic!

[Gmink]

Thanks for all the info. I'm not sure about digging a test hole, not sure about the state laws in Mississippi.

[ghost recon]

Flakes and chips are always a good sign imo there are usually artifacts nearby. I've come across a few chipping or knapping stations covered with thousands of flakes that make it tough to spot something whole but it seems like if you give the area a good thorough hunt there are points and tools to find.

Couple pic examples of these types of areas.

I like to take shots of these areas and blow them up on a bigscreen to look at later in case I missed something. At around 11 o'clock in the second pic looks like a hardstone piece with some shape, don't know how I missed that.