Uncovered: Artifacts from an Ancient Fire Pit, July 29th 2024

[@robhorne6694]

i dug through two fire pits last week in SW Alabama. i usually find 2-4 points around them with charcoal and flakes all through it usually some pottery.

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Robhorne… always fascinating. Stay with us!

[@swampshoveldetecting5088]

I appreciate your knowledge, great take on preservation responsibility. Private digs documented, discussed 👍enjoyed it

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Swampshovel…Great! Stay with us.

[@davidn1369]

Thanks for sharing your dug with us! Fascinating how you meticulously attack the uncovering of a fire pit. BTW, are the cordage marks on the pottery strictly decorative or serve another purpose?

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Davidn1369… there are differing opinions on the markings. The general consensus is decorative. Some think it identifies the person or the people. Thanks for following.

[@arasethw]

We in Northeastern Ohio would sure appreciate if you guys will help us save our site . Just to give it a look would help to get the word out .

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Arasethw… the archaeological society of Ohio Mahoning chapter located up in the Canfield Youngstown area would be your contact. Thanks for hanging in there with us.

[@WeepingWillow69]

Im excited right along with you! Thanks for the close-ups! 👍🏼

[@fieldarchaeology101]

You bet! Most welcome..the excitement/ anticipation on the site is amazing, lol. Stay with us !

[@leeparker9436]

Another excellent video, nothing better than getting a notification from Field Archaeology 101! I can't wait for the next one. I watch almost every arrowhead related channel on youtube but your enthusiasm and experience truly stand out among them. Thanks again Professor Mark.

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Thank you very much! More to come!

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Suzanne What a wonderful thought...awesome place to dwell. With this in mind...I would love to see some of our viewers art work. Water colors especially nice, smiles. Thanks for following us.

[@shakascloset1700]

I'm from Lorain County, awesome video 👍

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Thanks for watching!

[@VintageJohnstown1]

Great as usual! Loved the look at all the pottery.

[@fieldarchaeology101]

vintageJohnstown Thank you, hope you’ll be able to assist someone on like site one day. Lots of fun!

[@tsink6]

Love your work

[@fieldarchaeology101]

tsink Thank you. Its truly a labor of love. Welcome aboard.

[@j.b.4340]

Neat video. I’d call your find a “hearth”. I discovered a sand lined, heat treating pit, which had been exposed by a road cut, a few miles south of the Mississippi border, on Hwy 61. I tracked the fractured chert, back to the pit. It was dug into the loess, and was layered sand/chert, with some charcoal. It was in a rapidly eroding hillside, which had once been a finger ridge, overlooking a small stream. I’ve found two hearths. Both contained potsherds, and one had carbonized cane.

[@fieldarchaeology101]

J.b.4340… that’s wonderful! thank you for sharing and please stay with us. From my experience, the ancient hearts seem to contain a lot more exciting material. I’m glad that you’re expressing some of the same.

[@Riverman777]

Thanks Mark. Knapper and amateur archeologist way down here in ga. Always look forward to your videos for more education. Thanks for the good work

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Riverman777 You bet! Thank you...means a lot to me.We work hard to pass along life's knowledge, gifts and great stories, stay aboard, smiles.

[@suzannejelinek2307]

I just wonder what an artist would draw if they could see the site when it was active! Wonder and Awe

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Suzanne… that would be splendid. Great comment.

[@HaveHeart93]

Amazing! The Bob Ross of archaeology. :)

[@fieldarchaeology101]

You are too funny! Lots of laughs. Thank you.

[@OhioValley-y5r]

Thanks for the very interesting and valuable information!

[@fieldarchaeology101]

More than welcome.much more to share, smiles. Stay w/ us.

[@nickmarsicano2739]

We'll all be extinct by the time you get that one fire pit dug.

[@fieldarchaeology101]

😂 nick Thanks for your confidence, lol ! It will be complete in the next few days.Thanks for following us. Well, maybe a week or so...big smiles.

[@smokeeater8387]

Right on brother. Very interesting. One question, what do you mean by bola?👍🇺🇸

[@miketufts9765]

"Bolas"

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Smokeeater... Its a hunting impliment tossed over the head of the hunter toward his prey...several long cords with rocks at their ends and they wrap the legs of the hunted Its spelled "bolas"...check them out! They are MOST effective......!light to carry and easy to travel with....Different variations of this weapon. Share your thoughts!

[@smokeeater8387]

@@fieldarchaeology101 Interesting, I’m gonna have to look at some of the rocks I’ve picked up at the site where I hunt. I have also found some rocks that show some wear but I can’t figure out what they would have been used for.👍🇺🇸

[@fieldarchaeology101]

It’s wonderful. Thanks.

[@konaken1035]

Cool!!!!!!

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Konaken Thanks...its absolutely wonderful...so many ancient surprises. Stay w/ us.

[@julih2674]

I have a cantaloupe size piece of flint that I found over 50 years ago, behind my childhood home, along the Raccoon Creek, near Granville, in Licking Co. This was at the bottom of a rocky wall-like area that would have been perfect for sheltering a fire. To me, it looks like it was worked. I don’t know how big flint chunks normally are, but it’s a very interesting rock. Started me on a lifelong love of rocks. How would I find out more about it, or if it’s big enough to be of significance?

[@fieldarchaeology101]

julih Not sure where you live but I am nearly certain...if you take your piece to the Kokosing archaeology group...they'll have all your answers. They meet ea 3'rd Thurs of the month...7 P.M. Fred Altizer, D.V.M. is their club president...meet at the Knox co career center.Let me know how that works out,ok ! Their meetings are free and open to the public and speakers are most interesting. BIG smiles.

[@julih2674]

Thank you for this info! I will definitely do this as I am about 30 minutes away. That flint has been a mystery to me for over 50 years. Thanks again!

[@OftheOhio]

I imagine your mom couldn't keep you out of the dirt as a kid, lol. The small stones are interesting, I was a terror as a kid with a slingshot. I'm sorry I missed the meeting at the Fort Ancient museum, wish I had known about it ahead of time. I found a huge box turtle shell this last winter. I left it there, but it was somewhere near twice the size of box turtles I've stumbled on as a hunter. I wonder if you ever find these near the fire pits.

[@fieldarchaeology101]

oftheohio Easter Box Turtles..I use to have the largest series of box turtle gardens (101 box turtles) in N America....wonderful but lots of work. At the site I usu have 1 or 2 pass through every year..No shells in garbage or fire pits. You can age those turtles by counting the rings on one of their scutes. which are like finger prints and never any two alike.Thanks for this info, stay w/ us.

[@coryhill485]

Didn't know if you looked at things other people find? Built a house and discovered all kinds of different artifacts. I saved every strange looking rock because you can tell it's not natural. Also tons of flint and arrowheads. Always wanted someone to look at them and say what it is I dug up.

[@fieldarchaeology101]

coryhillWow... That’s wonderful! This gives an entirely new spin to roto-tilling your garden,lol Where are you located. If I can't help, I may know others who can. Hang in there...thanks for following us.

[@coryhill485]

We live just outside of senecaville ohio in guernsey County. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your time!!

[@ScottMabry-v3k]

Yeah, this was pretty rock County.… Rock hound.… Not that fun for your average leaving.… Just a bunch of rocks.… I hope you enjoy yourself you seem like you really really do like what you do how cool is that?

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Thanks for sharing. Its pretty special when you discover you're in a "good lane"Stay w/ us

[@headhunter7049]

I find it odd that Flint Ridge flint isn't that common in Coshocton county, being so close. What's your thoughts on why that is?

[@fieldarchaeology101]

headhunter I agree and your question is a perfect example of the value of field walkers coming together to solve some of these great questions. As I mentioned before, I do this all winter-long, have a group into my home bi-monthly and we tackle issues like this. Opinions are valuable.The friendships are priceless. Here's my opinion... I think the volume/ wide extent of Coshocton diversely colored flint and its readily availability minimized the "in-flow" of "exotic flint” (flint from other cos and out-of-state). PLUS there is a vast amt of high quality flint in the area. Secondly, I believe there may have been some control at some point with the Flint Ridge flint, its mining and marketing. Tight control may have existed…my money is on the powerful Adena culture. Consider this....the range and amt of flint ridge material sharply dwindled after the Adena- Hopewell culture...How much F.R. flint do you find in the late late woodland culture or even intrusive mound culture?Maybe the tight control forced other cultures/ groups to look harder, work harder in their local areas to mine the other material. Perhaps,they could no longer pay/ barter the higher prices( lol ). What are your thoughts?

[@danielcline7413]

I'm thinking the small stones are cooking stones as. They seem to be dense not the porous exploding kind for a bola I dont think they needed to be that selective!

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Daniel GREAT comments, thank you! Hope you can stay w/ us.

[@danielcline7413]

@@fieldarchaeology101 your welcome. Sir my guess about the stones was linked to the thickness of the pottery no heating those from the outside !

[@georgepretnick4460]

Professor Mark, I'm probably telling you things you're already aware of, but to heat treat their rock, native Americans would bury a quantity of raw material in sand, then build a fire on top. A skilled heat treater/knapper would keep the fire going for a day or more. Frequently, much of the rock would fragment and explode during the process. That's why there so much debitage about the area.

[@fieldarchaeology101]

Great info! Thanks, I agree!

[@scottnock5241]

Excellent job!!! I wish you would dig faster!!! I want to see more!!!!!

[@fieldarchaeology101]

LOL! I will try!

[@rockhunter6260]

I never thought of Bolas having small stones in the pouch instead of one larger stone. They also could have been used in a sling. Thanks for the 101👍🏻

[@fieldarchaeology101]

rockhunter I think we're onto something...big smiles !

[@rockhunter6260]

@@fieldarchaeology101 👍🏻