420
8-13-18
UPDATE NOTE:
I’m still here-----The old computer software became non-supported during the last three years. That’s why there hasn’t been any new articles. So, I’ve begun the daunting task of rebuilding this 18-year-old and 1600 file web site. A computer science professor and a computer engineer are working to bring it back to life. Changes to the hardware, software, transforming HTM code to HTML code, and relearning all new software will take some time. I can’t say for sure when, (or even if) all the items on this list will be completed, but we’ll see.” “Yup, that’s me somewhere in Vietnam in 1968.” Pete Bostrom |
|
419
5-31-15
NOTE: "I
hope to get back to writing more articles sometime later this year.
My current "extra" job of executor of the family estate will take a
lot of time (Pete Bostrom)."
This picture shows some "personified"
Aztec bifaces from the Great Temple in Mexico City. |
|
418
5-31-15
DOUBLE-NOTCHED
CAHOKIA "GEM" POINT, (Cast),
This Cahokia point was found by
Perry Parker in 1939. It’s believed to be one of the finest examples
of a double-notched Cahokia “gem” point ever found. |
|
417
2-28-15
2
MAMMOTH PETROGLYPHS IN UTAH,
Two mammoth petroglyphs located on a site in
southeastern Utah. They were discovered within a group of other
petroglyphs that are believed to date sometime between the
Pleistocene and Holocene periods approximately 13,300 to 12,500
years ago. |
|
416
1-31-15
A NOTE FOR JANUARY:
Due to an extra large demand for
casts and, the passing of
mom,
I haven't had time to post a monthly article. The picture at right (click
for short article) shows my brother Bob Bostrom, who
discovered the Bostrom
site, and two Clovis points that were found by me (Pete Bostrom)
on the site. |
|
415
12-31-14
JUST A NOTE FOR DECEMBER:
I'm happy to report that all orders for Christmas were shipped on
time. The only problem is there were to many to post a monthly
article. We'll see what January brings.
(The
image at right
is a picture of me and a favorite old film camera) Pete
Bostrom |
|
414
11-18-14
Just a note:
and a couple of pictures to show one of the
projects I've been working on these last two months.
Other projects involved resurfacing work
tables, replacing ceiling tiles, re-shelving hundreds of books and
lots of cleaning and reorganizing. |
|
413
11-18-14
NEW BOOK,
"MASTERPIECES OF MODERN LITHIC ART,"
This hard cover book is considered the best publication to date for
this type of art. It illustrates some of the most skillfully crafted
flint knapped art that has been made in recent years. |
|
412
8-31-14
THE STONE
SPHERES OF COSTA RICA, Found in
association with ceramic material that dates to sometime between
A.D. 400 and A.D. 800. Stone (1943)
reported fourteen stone balls associated with one mound. Referred to as stone spheres, stone balls, petro-spheres, and locally as los bolas. |
|
411
8-31-14
NORTHERN SIDE-NOTCHED POINT (Cast),
Represents one of a group of points that are assigned to the
northern side-notched cluster. Northern side-notched points date to
between 8,000 & 6,000 years ago. Found on DeMoss burial site in
Idaho. |
|
410
7-31-14
GEORGE
EKLUND, "THE ROCK MONSTER," He began
making points in 1963. George is known for his ability to finish
points quickly. In fact, some flintknappers call him "the rock
monster" because he "devours rock" so quickly. George is credited,
by some, as the inventor of copper billets. |
|
409
7-31-14
SPIDER ECCENTRIC,
MAYAN CULTURE (Cast),
Spider images have been around for a long time.
They have been connected to powerful myths around the world for
thousands of years. This Mayan eccentric obviously represents a
spider. |
|
408
6-30-14
LOWE
& SAWMILL POINTS, BELIZE,
Five points, of 12 illustrated, were published by Kelly in,
"Preceramic Projectile Point Typology In Belize." Lowe points are
dated to the Late Archaic between 4,500 to 3,900 years before
present. Sawmill points most striking feature is edge sharpening
with fine parallel oblique pressure flaking. |
|
407
6-30-14
LOWE "TYPE" POINT
(Cast),
Named after the
Lowe Ranch in northern Belize. The stems are thinned from the base
in a way that Kelly (1993) described as
"flake scars that are indistinguishable
from flute scars." Edges are beveled, sometimes with parallel
oblique flaking. They also
have sharply defined, massive and widely angled barbs. |
|
406
5-31-14
GRINDING
STONES WORLDWIDE, The use of grinding
stones, to process food, predates the development of farming. Plant
starch residue has been identified on grinding stones that date to
as early as 30,000 years ago. Old taboos and Folkloric beliefs,
concerning grinding stones, are still respected in some areas. |
|
405
5-31-14
FLUTED POINT CHANNEL FLAKE REFIT (CASTS),
Broken fluted point base of a fluted point and a channel flake that
fits onto one of the flute flake scars. Excavated from the Sugarloaf
site
in South Deerfield, MA. |
|
404
3-30-14
PREHISTORIC OWL IMAGERY
& MYTH,
Owl imagery has a long history, as early as 35,000 years ago. People
have been creating images and mythic stories about owls for tens of
thousands of years. They have been portrayed in every imaginable
form. |
|
403
4-30-14
STRIKING PLATFORM
(Cast),
Ancient knappers at the
Sugarloaf encampment carefully set up striking platforms for
fluting. Platforms were isolated by removing two, parallel “guide”
flakes – a practice that has long been referred to as the “Enterline
technique.” |
|
402
3-31-14
THE TIDE-LOCK CHOPPER CORE AND KERRVILLE KNIVES,
Known as the Tide-Lock chopper-core. It was discovered in
Virginia and identified, with considerable effort, as a Lower
Paleolithic tool from Europe. Another unique artifact form, that
also has an outer cortex grip handle, are Kerrville knives from
central Texas. |
|
401
3-31-14
FLUTED POINT
PREFORM (Cast),
Despite the care an ancient knapper took to create a
striking platform, a long channel flake was not produced and the
artifact collapsed near the tip leaving a short compression fracture
(hinge) on either side of the snap. |
|
400
2-28-14
LATE STONE AGE
AXES & STYLE VARIATION,
Illustrated examples
show how similar axes are in basic form and function, with a cutting
edge on one end and a hafting element on the other. But they also
illustrate how variable the design of stone axes have been. |
|
399
2-28-14
EASTERN STYLE FLUTED
POINT (Cast),
Found
in Sept., 2013 during the excavation of the Sugarloaf site in South
Deerfield, MA. This projectile point may
have been intended for use against caribou. |
|
398
1-31-14
INSECT ICONOGRAPHY, Different types of
insects have been represented in stone, shell and wood for at least
15,000 years. Their level of importance varies widely from minor
themes in myths, tales and folklore to great and powerful gods. |
|
397
1-31-14
EASTERN STYLE FLUTED
POINT
(Cast), Found
in Sept., 2013 during the excavation of the Sugarloaf site in South
Deerfield, MA. It was broken during manufacture and it has a very
unique break pattern in the form of a reverse channel flake struck
from the break edge. |
|
396
12-31-13
NORTHWEST
COAST STONE CLUBS,
Estimated dates range from 500 B.C. to European contact. Earliest
evidence for use found on the bones of Period II burials that show
forearm fractures called parry fractures and skull depression
fractures. |
|
395
12-31-13
FLUTED POINT (Cast),
This Cumberland-type fluted point was the first of
six fluted points recovered from the complex of caves located on
lookout Mountain in Orange County, New York. This is the
first fluted point reported from a northeastern cave or rockshelter. |
|
394
11-30-13
AXE GOD
PENDANTS,
They were produced in Costa Rica for more than a
thousand years. Most were made from jadeite, the hardest form of
jade. Owners of axe gods were members of wealthy and powerful
families. Oldest worked jade in Costa Rica is an axe god. |
|
393
11-30-13
EDEN POINT (Cast),
A skillfully pressure flaked
Eden point from the Finley site. This point was broken from a
bend-brake type of fracture. The Findley site is recorded as the
type site for Eden points. |
|
392
10-31-13
COOKING
STONES,
The earliest use of cooking stones are reported from Europe and
Japan as early as 32,000 years ago. The term "carbohydrate
revolution" in North America is used in reference to a major diet
change during the Archaic period when people began eating a
diet of insulin-rich root foods. |
|
391
10-31-13
GOSHEN POINT (Cast),
A Goshen point found in the bone
bed on the Mill Iron site. May be made of Hartville chert. |
|
390
9-31-13
GHOSTS AND
FLINTKNAPPING, Ghosts
and flintknapping do cross paths in art, collecting and cultural
drama. The most extreme examples are stone tools used
in self-mutilation mourning rituals. At the other end of the
spectrum, are examples of Dan Theus' flintknapping art, "gray
ghosts," and "ghost points." |
|
389
9-31-13
GOSHEN POINT (Cast),
This Goshen point is one of the more skillfully
made points from the Mill Iron site. Both sides have fairly uniform
parallel pressure flaking. Basal thinning was accomplished with the
removal of several pressure flakes on both sides. |
|
388
8-31-13
CEREMONIAL METATES FROM COSTA RICA,
Ceremonial metates were high status ritual objects that are found
exclusively in elite burials. In mythology, metates are connected to
life through their association with maize (corn). |
|
387
8-31-13
CASCADE POINT (Cast),
This Cascade point was
found on the Demoss burial site in west central Idaho in 1985. Dates to
6,000 years ago. A minimum of 236 Cascade points, side-notched
points, and bifaces were found along with the bones of at least 60 individuals. |
|
386
7-31-13
MACE
HEADS FROM COAST RICA,
Costa Rican maces are known for their finely crafted images of
animals, plants, geometric and god forms. They are found in the
tombs of the wealthy. Many date from A.D. 300 to 500 but were
used up to the Spanish conquest. |
|
385
7-31-13
BUTTERFLY CRESCENT (Cast),
This crescent was found in May of 2002 during an archaeological
survey on the US Army Dugway Proving Ground in Tooele County, Utah.
It was found within a geological formation known
as The Old River Bed. |
|
384
6-30-13
RESIN HAFTED
ABORIGINAL LEILIRA KNIVES,
They were
manufactured and traded in the central and
northern regions of Australia. They were made from core struck
macroblades & used for ritual & utilitarian purposes for a thousand
years. |
|
383
6-30-13
HASKETT POINT (Cast),
This point is unique for the fact that it was
tested for protein residue and was found to react positively to
elephant antisera (blood serum), that is presumably mammoth or
mastodon. This is an early form of western stemmed point that
appears to date sometime prior to about 12,000 calibrated years
before present. |
|
382
5-31-13
ANIMAL EFFIGY ART
BY DON WILCOX,
Don Wilcox has probably made as many or more "quality" animal forms
than any other modern knapper. They illustrate excellent
craftsmanship and a good eye for art. |
|
381
5-31-13
HASKETT POINT
(Cast),
This is the largest
Haskett point ever documented archaeologically. Discovered during an
archaeological survey
in the Great Salt Lake Desert in western Utah.
Early form of western stemmed point,
appears to date sometime prior to about 12,000 calibrated years
before present based on its context. |
|
380
4-30-13
MAORI CULTURE
STONE FIGHTING "CLUBS," Recognized as
the best Maori stone-work ever produced. They were close-quarter fighting
weapons that were handed down from generation to generation.
Not designed as true clubs but as thrusting weapons. In a ritual sense,
some were containers for ancestral energy. |
|
379
4-30-13
SIDE-NOTCHED
POINT (Cast), This
Archaic side-notched point was found during excavation at Wallace
Ruin by Bruce Bradley. This side-notched point is believed to date
sometime between 2000 B.C. to 1 B.C. |
|
378
3-31-13
CANAANEAN SICKLE BLADES, Early
descriptions of Canaanean blades refer to them as "ribbon knives."
The name is a reflection of their long, straight and uniform lines.
Canaanean core technology produced the highest quality blades in the
southern Levant. |
|
377
3-31-13
SICKLE BLADE SEGMENT (Cast),
This sickle blade segment is identified as a
product of Canaanean prismatic blade technology from the southern
Levant. Sickle sheen along one serrated edge indicates that it was
once used to cut some type of plant fibers. |
|
376
2-28-13
PROJECTILE POINT IMPACT FRACTURES,
Impact experimental studies have shown that projectile points have a
high failure rate with nearly half or more breaking with their first
use. The earliest discovery of projectile point impact damage was
found on spear points on a site in the Kalahari Desert in South
Africa called Kanthu Pan 1. |
|
375
2-28-13
FOLSOM POINT (Cast), This
Folsom point was found on the Ready-Lincoln Hills site.
This site is the largest Early Paleo-Indian camp and stone tool
manufacturing site in an area near the confluence of the
Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois Rivers. |
|
374
1-31-13
COLOSSAL
HEADS OF THE OLMEC,
They are the most recognizable symbol of the Olmec civilization. The
colossal heads weigh from 6 to 40 tons and range in size from 4.82
to 11.15 feet high and were transported as far as 93 miles. They are
believed to be individualized portraits of important rulers. No
metal tools were used to make them. |
|
373
1-31-13
EDEN POINT
(Cast),
This is the only type II point that was
found during the excavation of the Horner site and it's been
identified as an Eden style.
The Horner site is the
representative type site of the Cody Cultural
Complex. |
|
372
12-31-12
MARQUETTE'S PIASA
"MONSTER," Piasa
images are described as
belonging to a super-theme of different animal combinations.
Engravings from Spiro illustrate some of these underworld creatures.
The Alton Piasa is the first pictograph to be discovered in the
region in 1673 by Pere Marquette. |
|
371
12-31-12
GOSHEN POINT,
This Goshen point is described by Frison and
Bradley as a point that, "is different in shape from the rest of the
points (that were found on the Mill
iron site). Originally, this point may have been larger and a
new base was applied after it was broken so it could be used again. |
|
370
11-30-12
ORGANIC
PROJECTILE POINTS,
Primitive projectile points were made from many
types of organic materials, such as antler, bone, ivory, fish
scales, teeth, shell and wood. The oldest "organic" projectile
points are sharpened wooden spears that are thought to have been
used as javelins and date to 400,000 years ago. |
|
369
11-30-12
CLOVIS POINT,
(Cast)
This Clovis point was found
several years ago in Utah by Greg Nunn. It's a good example of a
western style Clovis point or knife. |
|
368
10-31-12
MAMMOTH BONE BUTCHERING TOOLS,
The Lange Ferguson mammoth kill site is one of the best preserved
Clovis kill sites. Mammoth bone choppers & flakes are tools that
were used to process the meat of two mammoths. Three Clovis points &
one flake were also found. |
|
367
10-31-12
SCOTTSBLUFF POINT
(Cast),
From the Horner site excavations. The Horner site is the
representative type site of the Cody Cultural
Complex. |
|
366
9-30-12
THE
BLACKWATER DRAW CLOVIS TYPE SITE,
The Blackwater Draw kill site is famous for being the location where
the Clovis culture was discovered in the 1930's. The site also has
the oldest water wells in the US that date to the Clovis period.
Large numbers of Folsom artifacts have also been found with bison
antiquus bones. |
|
365
9-30-12
KANAWHA POINT (Cast),
This Kanawha point was found in
Montgomery County, Illinois several years ago by Gene Gray. |
|
364
8-31-12
"FANCY" FLINT KNIVES OF THE PREDYNASTIC PERIOD,
Early archaeologist Flinders Petrie referred to
them as "fancy" flint knives from his excavation of Predynastic
tombs. The most skillfully crafted Predynastic knives
were made sometime between 4000 B.C. and 3300 B.C. |
|
363
8-31-12
BONE NEEDLE (Cast),
This bone needle was found in
1989 during the excavation of the "Buhl Woman" burial.
Dates to Paleo-Indian period sometime between
10,500 TO 11,000 years before present. Eye of the needle
formed by gouging, rather than drilling. |
|
362
7-31-12
THE LAMB SITE,
The Lamb site is a late Clovis period site that may date to 12,700
years ago. Located in western New York, used as a habitation site, a
stone tool manufacturing and cache site. A cache of ten large Clovis
points and 11 bifaces were found. |
|
361
7-31-12
AZTEC RITUAL KNIFE (Cast),
Bifaces like this example have been
found in excavations of ceremonial caches in the ancient Aztec city
of Tenochtitlan that is now located under the modern day city of
Mexico City. |
|
360
6-30-12
FISHTAIL
BIFACES,
Fishtail bifaces are well known from Predynastic tombs. Two
different types are known. They were used in an important ritual
known as the "Opening of the Mouth" ceremony. They were in use
between 6,000 and 5,000 years ago. |
|
359
6-30-12
MICRO-DRILL (Cast),
This micro-drill was discovered on
the Cahokia Mounds site within an area of
about 3.7 acres on the Kunnemann
tract where many
thousands have been found. 60,000
drilled shell beads were found in Mound 72 at Cahokia. |
|
358
5-31-12
THE FENN CLOVIS
CACHE-ALL
56 ARTIFACTS,
One of the best Clovis caches ever found and contains the most
skillfully crafted Clovis point ever found. Contains only crescent
found in a Clovis cache. Over-shot flaking is common flaking pattern
in the collection. |
|
357
5-31-12
CLOVIS BIFACE (Cast),
This is the best example of an
over-shot flake removal in the Fenn cache. One flake removed nearly
4 inches of an opposite edge. Another smaller over-shot flake can be seen near the
tip of the point.
Opposite side has over-shot flake that measures 2 inches. |
|
356
4-30-12
END SCRAPERS,
WORLDWIDE, End
scrapers are mainly a product of core & blade technology. They first
appear during the Late Paleolithic period sometime between 35,000
and 40,000 years ago. They have been in continuous use until very
recent times. |
|
355
4-30-12
CLOVIS CRESCENT (Cast),
This is the only crescent that was found
in the Fenn cache of 56 Clovis artifacts.
Traces of red
ochre was found on its surface. It was made from Green River
Formation chert. |
|
354
3-31-12
MARVIN McCORMICK,
One of the early modern flintknappers who
produced modern points in large numbers. He is most famous for his
ability to make and flute Folsom points. In fact, he may have been
the first modern knapper to make a Folsom point. |
|
353
3-31-12
FULTON TURKEY TAIL
(Cast),
An exceptionally well made example of a Fulton
Turkey Tail. It's been published in six different publications where
its been described as being quintessential (most perfect). It was
found by Dean Burke in 1964 in St. Clair Co., Illinois. |
|
352
2-29-12
THE
LINDENMEIER FOLSOM SITE,
First positive evidence that people were living in North America at
a much greater age than previously thought. Dates to sometime
between 12,900 and 11,700 years ago
(latest readjusted dates). |
|
351
2-29-12
SUWANNEE POINT
(Cast),
Some researchers have placed Suwannee points in the
Early Archaic period while others believe they are older. "Most
archaeologists, including this author, place Suwannee points as the
post-Clovis, Middle Paleo-Indian type (Dunbar)." |
|
350
1-31-12
TRIANGULAR ARROW POINTS FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES,
The triangular shape is the most common form of arrow point. Some of
the earliest triangular arrow points are found in Japan on Jomon
Period sites that date to 9,000 years ago. |
|
349
1-31-12
CLOVIS POINT
(Cast),
This Clovis point was found several years ago on the Gault site by
David Olmstead. It's slightly "fishtailed" and one side was fluted
at least three times. |
|
348
12-31-11
COGGED STONES &
CACTUS SLICES, Most
cogged stones are found in only 2 or 3 counties in Southern
California. They may date as early as 7,500 years ago and they may
actually be, of all things, effigies of cactus slices. Comparison to
Northern Mexico Seri Indian culture suggests a connection to cactus
plants. |
|
347
12-31-11
GOSHEN POINT (Cast),
This Goshen point was discovered during the excavation of the bison bone
bed on the Mill Iron site in Carter County, Montana. It was
described as
"an exquisite example of highly controlled pressure flaking." |
|
346
11-30-11
LABRETS,
Examples from Alaska, Mexico and Peru made of gold, silver,
Obsidian, coal, ivory and bone.
Labrets are items of adornment that were worn around the mouth. They
were in use in six regions around the world. The oldest labrets are
found in the
Kamchatka Peninsula and in Iran at
10700 and 8400 years ago. |
|
345
11-30-11
FULTON TURKEY TAIL
POINT (Cast),
This very fine example of a Fulton Turley Tail point
was found several years ago in a cultivated field in Clinton County,
Illinois. |
|
344
10-31-11
STONE DISC
PALETTES,
Mississippian culture, they are important artifacts that have been
found in the most "elite" burials at Etowah and Moundville. They are
found on sites in southeastern United States. Earliest description
of them was by Charles Jones in 1873. |
|
343
9-30-11
CLOVIS
CHOPPER, The largest
of two stone chopper that were found on the Colby mammoth kill site,
in north central Wyoming. This chopper was discovered near bone pile
number 2. |
|
342
8-31-11
TOM ONKEN'S
AXES, Tom has produced
some of the best "art axes" and "authentic reproduction" axes that
has been made in recent years. His Iowa style slant groove and
raised ridge axes are two of his favorites. |
|
341
8-31-11
EARLY STAGE CLOVIS BIFACE (Cast),
McKinnis cache, St. Louis County,
Missouri. This biface is an excellent example of edge-to-edge flaking.
One side has a large
"outre passe" (edge-to-edge)
flake scar that removed 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) of the opposite edge. |
|
340
7-31-11
BARK BEATERS
AND BARK CLOTH, Bark beaters are
simple and common utilitarian tool forms that were used by people in
many countries around the world. They have been in continuous use
for over 4,000 years. |
|
339
7-31-11
HOLLAND POINT (Cast),
This highly developed Holland
point was found many years ago in St. Louis County, Missouri.
It has all the
characteristics of a Dalton point except for the shoulders. It's
made of white Burlington chert and measures 4 3/4 inches long. |
|
338
6-30-11
PROJECTILE POINTS MADE ON BLADES & FLAKES,
"Minimal modification" are two words that best
describe why so many ancient cultures made their projectile points
on blades or flakes. They represent the simplest forms and they
reflect an aura of frugality, efficiency and utility. Several
examples from sites around the world. A time depth of up to
120,000 years ago. |
|
337
6-30-11
FOLSOM BEAD (Cast),
This tiny bead was discovered during the
excavation of the Shifting Sands site in Winkler County, Texas. It
was actually found stuck onto a chert flake,
otherwise it probably wouldn't have been found at all. Note: If you
drop this cast you may never ever find it again. |
|
336
5-31-11
THE TOLU
FLUORITE STATUE,
The most intricate and realistically carved
Mississippian culture fluorite statue
discovered to date and the only known statue that was sculpted with
a beaded forelock. Discovered in 1954 in a cultivated field in
Crittenden Co., Kentucky. |
|
335
5-31-11
LATE STAGE CLOVIS
PREFORM (Cast),
Found several years ago in the
St. Louis by-state area. A large wide flute was removed from one
side only. No further attempt was made to further alter the striking
platform remnant. |
|
334
4-30-11
HEMISPHERES &
LOAFSTONES, Eighteen examples from
Illinois and two from Kentucky. They are often referred to as
"problematical objects." Some people believe they may be atlatl
weights. |
|
333
4-30-11
UNFLUTED FOLSOM
OR MIDLAND POINT (Cast), Although broken, this unfluted Folsom
or Midland point is an especially nice example. It has fine delicate
ears and tiny micro flaking along the edges. |
|
332
3-31-11
LARGE BIFACES FROM CRAIG MOUND,
The excavation of Craig Mound produced several different type of
large bifaces up to 22 inches long. Many of them were finely
crafted. |
|
331
3-31-11
BUCK CREEK POINT (Cast),
This Buck Creek point was found in Hardin County, Kentucky. It's a
fine example and appears to be the quality-of-manufacture that are
usually found in caches. |
|
330
2-28-11
NATIVE
AMERICAN INDIAN GOLD ARTIFACTS,
Early Smithsonian reports list several finds of gold artifacts that
were discovered in mounds in Florida, Georgia and Ohio. Some were
made from natural nuggets and some from Spanish shipwreck gold. |
|
329
2-28-11
CLOVIS POINT (cast),
This is the first Clovis artifact identified to have ancient
adhesive preserved within the hafting area. Lab analysis by Kenneth
B. Tankersley revealed the presence of an organic hafting adhesive
(amber resin) in the basal striations. |
|
328
1-31-11
THE
MITCHELL PREHISTORIC INDIAN VILLAGE SITE,
A 1,000 year old Mississippian farming village in southeastern South
Dakota. These people were ancestors of the Mandan. |
|
327
1-31-11
CLOVIS POINT (Cast),
This Clovis point was found during the excavation of the Lamb site.
It is double fluted on one side and it has a large flute on the
other. The Lamb site is located in Genesee County, New York. |
|
326
12-31-10
TRIDACNA SHELL ADZES,
These unique adzes were made over a period of thousands of years in
the Pacific islands & along the coastal regions of southeast Asia.
Largest Tridacna shell mollusks grow to over 500 pounds. |
|
325
12-31-10
LARGE FLUTED CLOVIS POINT (Cast),
This Clovis point was found
during the excavation of the Lamb site. The Lamb site is located in
Genesee County, New York. |
|
324
11-30-10
NOTE:
The ordering links are now open again. The pole barn is cleaned out
and so another project finished.
(Picture at right is the
Agate House in the Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona.
Originally constructed sometime between A.D. 1050 & 1300 by ancient
Puebloan people.
It was partially reconstructed in the
1930's.
Pete
Bostrom |
|
323
10-31-10
NOTE:
For the last few weeks I've been
cleaning out pole barn sheds here---Fifty years of accumulation will
take more time to finish. So this is going to take most of November.
(Picture at right is a
Halloween photo taken on 10-31-10) Pete
Bostrom |
|
322
9-30-10
MOUND 72
POINTS, The excavation
of Mound 72 produced the most spectacular collection of arrow points
ever discovered in the area around the Cahokia Mounds site in
southern Illinois. Many of the point types are unique to only Mound
72. Antler point were also found. |
|
321
8-31-10
MACK TUSSINGER'S MAGNIFICENT ECCENTRICS,
Pictures & descriptions of several more of these very complex
eccentrics. Also one example that appears to have been made from a
Clovis point. |
|
320
8-31-10
BONE
FISHHOOK (Cast),
Cahokia Mounds site, St. Clair Co. Illinois. |
|
319
7-31-10
CRAIG MOUND & ROBERT BELL'S PHOTOGRAPHS,
The Spiro Mound excavation of Craig Mound in the 1930's evoked all
the emotions of man: profit, treasure, law, anger, religion, science
and art. |
|
318
7-31-10
MOUND 72 POINT (Cast),
Another example of one the many
different types or styles of arrow points that were found in one of
three caches in Mound 72 on the Cahokia Mounds site in southern
Illinois. |
|
317
6-30-10
"ESCORT TO THE UNDERWORLD,"
A very complex Mayan eccentric copied from the original by Dan
Theus. It illustrates a portion of Mayan
mythology that involves the rebirth of the maize god. Crocodile
canoe carries spirit of First Father to place of creation to be
reborn again as the maize god. |
|
316
6-30-10
FLUTED POINT MADE OF RAMAH CHERT,
This fluted point was found several years ago in Franklin County,
Vermont. It's made of material that was transported from Labrador at
least 1,100 miles away. |
|
315
5-31-10
SANDIA, AMERICA'S PILTDOWN?,
Sandia Cave is most famous for its original 17,000 to 20,000 year
old carbon dates. But it would seem that almost everything about the
site is unreliable. |
|
314
5-31-10
CLOVIS PREFORM,
A classic Clovis manufacturing break pattern. Broken during end
thinning stage of manufacture. Found in the lower Clovis horizon on
the Kimmswick mammoth kill site in Missouri. |
|
313
4-30-10
DINOSAUR FOSSIL "POOP" POINT,
Two points made by Dan Theus. One is made from agatized dinosaur
coprolite and the other from agatized dinosaur bone. |
|
312
4-30-10
SIDE-NOTCHED POINT (Cast),
This point was excavated from Wallace Ruin, Montezuma County,
Colorado. It dates to the Pueblo III, Anasazi era between A.D. 1100
and A.D. 1300. |
|
311
3-31-10
THE MAMMOTH IVORY BILLET/BURNISHER FROM
BLACKWATER DRAW, This
ivory tool was discover on the Clovis type site and it represents
one of the rarest forms of Clovis tools. |
|
310
3-31-10
CLOVIS POINT (Cast),
One of fourteen large Clovis points discovered during the excavation
of the East Wenatchee Clovis site in central Washington. This point
measures 8 5/8 inches long. |
|
309
2-28-10
THE HOLLAND CACHE,
Fourteen points and one drill. The Holland cache represents the type
points from which Holland points are named. They were found in 1966
in a farm field in southeast Iowa. |
|
308
2-28-10
SCOTTSBLUFF POINT
(Cast),
From the Horner site excavations. The Horner site is the
representative type site of the Cody Cultural
Complex. |
|
307
12-31-09
THE MOUND CITY AND TREMPER MOUND CACHES OF
HOPEWELL EFFIGY PIPES,
The caches were discovered in Ohio in 1846 & 1915 and include
approximately 336 pipes. |
|
306
12-31-09
MOUND 72 POINT,
This is one of the more rare styles excavated from mound 72 on the
Cahokia Mounds site, Illinois. |
|
305
11-30-09
ENGRAVED HUMAN BONE RATTLES & GORGET,
Two Hopewell rattles from Twin Mounds on the Pinson Mounds site and
an engraved gorget from the Florence Mound in Ohio. |
|
304
11-30-09
LATE STAGE CLOVIS BIFACE (Cast),
McKinnis cache, St. Louis County,
Missouri. A late stage Clovis biface from the McKinnis cache showing
edge-to-edge flaking and end thinning. |
|
303
10-31-09
THE CACTUS HILL SITE,
A pre-Clovis site in Sussex
County in eastern Virginia. A pre-Clovis level is reported to have
been discovered a Clovis level. Two "early triangular" points are
reported. |
|
302
10-31-09
EARLY STAGE CLOVIS BIFACE (Cast),
McKinnis cache, St. Louis County,
Missouri. This biface is an excellent example of edge-to-edge Clovis
technique of flaking. |
|
301
9-30-09
END-SCRAPERS MADE FROM BROKEN PROJECTILE
POINTS, The have been
called bunts, blunts, stunners and even end-scrapers. |
|
300
9-30-09
MESA SITE POINT (Cast),
One of the best projectile point examples from
the Mesa site, northern Alaska in the Arctic Circle. |
|
299
8-31-09
THE LITHIC ARTISTS GUILD,
Pictures of modern lithic art and
a description of the history of the Guild and the "Modern Lithic
Artists Journal." See Steve Allely's San Andreas Fault points! |
|
298
8-31-09
GOSHEN POINT (Cast),
This Goshen point was discovered during the excavation of the Mill Iron site in Carter County, Montana. |
|
297
7-31-09
THE MILL IRON SITE AND GOSHEN POINTS,
The Mill Iron Goshen complex site is a camp meat processing site and
a bone bed. Goshen points are believed to date sometime between
Clovis and Folsom. |
|
296
7-31-09
GOSHEN POINT (Cast),
This Goshen point was discovered during the excavation of the bone
bed on the Mill Iron site in Carter County, Montana. |
|
295
6-30-09
CATLINITE PIPES AND THE PIPESTONE QUARRY,
The earliest catlinite pipes were made during the Early and Middle
Woodland Period. The Late Mississippian & Historic Periods produced
most catlinite pipes. |
|
294
6-30-09
CLOVIS POINT
(Cast),
This is the largest complete Clovis point
found on the Colby mammoth kill site in north central Wyoming. This
point was found by the discoverer of the site. |
|
293
5-31-09
BIRDSTONES,
Fantails, popeyes, short body and bust type birdstones from sites
east of the Mississippi River. Birdstones date from the Late Archaic
to the Early Woodland periods. |
|
292
5-31-09
STEMMED ARROW POINT (Cast),
Neolithic point found on the Swiss Lake Dweller site of Auvernier on
Lake Neuchatel in western Switzerland. |
|
291
4-30-09
SWISS LAKE DWELLER SITES,
These Neolithic and Bronze Age sites are known for their
extraordinary preservation of organic materials. Especially stone
tools that still retain their handles and hafting elements. |
|
290
4-30-09
A SMALL CARVED BIFACE FROM NORTHERN PERU
(Cast),
This small
bifacially flaked and carved human biface was collected in
northwestern Peru. It's believed to belong to the Chimu culture. |
|
289
3-31-09
FISHHOOKS OF NORTH AMERICA & AROUND THE
WORLD, Pictures
of fishhooks made of deer antler & bone, turkey bone, human bone,
shell, stone, wood and bronze. Stages of manufacture, etc. |
|
288
3-31-09
EDEN POINT (Cast),
An excellent example of an Eden point from the Finley site, the Eden
type site. |
|
287
2-28-09
PIERCED STAFFS,
Pierced staff is a general term for antler, bone and ivory arrow and
spear straighteners from the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe and
Eskimo & the Murray Springs bone "wrench." |
|
286
2-28-09
BONE FISHHOOK (Cast),
This Mississippian culture bone fishhook was found during the
excavation of the stockade wall on the Cahokia Mounds State Historic
Site. |
|
285
1-31-09
THE SNYDERS SITE,
A Middle Woodland Hopewell site in Calhoun County, Illinois. The
first excavations there by Walter Wadlow in 1940. One of the most
skillfully flaked artifacts, a Ross point, found there. |
|
284
1-31-09
CLOVIS POINT (Cast),
This Clovis point was found in
1868 in union County, Illinois. It's made of sugar Quartz that may
be Hixton from Wisconsin. |
|
283
12-31-08
WALRUS IVORY HARPOON IMBEDDED IN A BOWHEAD
WHALEBONE, An ancient
ivory harpoon was found deeply imbedded in a bone from a bowhead
whale's flipper. Bering Sea. |
|
282
12-31-08
CLOVIS POINT
(Cast), This
Clovis point was found a short distance away from a mammoth rib
during the 1975 excavation of the Colby mammoth kill site in north
central Wyoming. |
|
281
11-30-08
NOTE: The lab is in much
better shape now & more organized.
(The image at right is a
picture of my cat. 2008) Pete
Bostrom |
|
280
10-31-08
NOTE: I will try to
resume the sale of casts around the middle of November.
(Picture at right shows
myself looking at several Bigfoot casts that are copies of originals
that were made by
Anthropologist Grover Krantz, PhD., 1992) Pete
Bostrom |
|
279
9-30-08
NOTE: I'm still
reorganizing the lab---painting, rebuilding tables, remodeling new
space, etc. This will probably take most of October.
(Picture at right shows
myself backpacking in the high mountains of British Columbia in
1966) Pete
Bostrom |
|
278
8-31-08
POINTS & TOOLS PRODUCED FROM ONE 14LB
BURLINGTON CHERT NODULE,
An experimental archaeology
project by Larry Kinsella for the Missouri Archaeology Month poster. |
|
277
8-31-08
EDEN POINT (Cast),
Found on the Eden type site on
the Finley site near Eden Wyoming. Finley is a bison kill site and
this point as a small impact fracture on the point. |
|
276
7-31-08
GRAVERS,
Single and multi-spurred gravers
from six different Clovis and Early Early Archaic sites are
illustrated and described. |
|
275
7-31-08
MOUND 72 POINT, (Cast),
An example of one of 107 similar
points found together in a cache in Mound 72 on the Cahokia Mounds
site, in Madison and St. Clair Counties, Illinois. |
|
274
6-30-08
HAFTED UNGROOVED AXES,
Examples of hafted axes from Europe, Arian Jaya
and North America. |
|
273
6-30-08
STEMMED POINT, (Cast),
Bronze Age point from northern
Afghanistan. |
|
272
5-31-08
ACHEULEAN HANDAXES,
Examples of handaxes from four
different countries, spanning a range of time from 600,000 to
100,000 years. Kalambo Falls, Zambia, St. Acheul & Abbeville,
France, etc. |
|
271
5-31-08
KIMBERLY POINT, (Cast),
Cast of a Kimberly point from
northwestern Australia, made of gray
quartzite. |
|
270
4-30-08
THE FRANKE PIPE,
The Franke pipe is a Cahokia
style bird effigy pipe that might relate to the falcon warrior or
falcon impersonator iconography within the Mississippian culture. |
|
269
4-30-08
LATE STAGE CUMBERLAND POINT PREFORM, (Cast),
One of
the best examples of a late stage Cumberland point preform. One side
is fluted. Fluting caused it to break. Found in Dickson Co.,
Tennessee. |
|
268
3-31-08
A SMALL NEGATIVE PAINTED CUP,
Found on or near the Cahokia Mounds site. The only complete negative
painted ceramic vessel reported from the area. Edge of the cup
measures less than 1 mm thick. |
|
267
3-31-08
DIHEDRAL BURIN,
(Cast),
This Upper Paleolithic Aurignacian Period Dihedral Burin was found on the Termo-Pialat
site in southern France. |
|
266
2-29-08
DALTON TOOLS,
Olive Branch site, Alexander County, Illinois.
Examples of end-scrapers, side-scrapers, denticulates, gravers,
awls, drills, abraders, anvil stones and hammer stones. |
|
265
2-29-08
HOLLAND POINT,
(Cast),
Cooper
County, Missouri. Well done diagonal oblique pressure flaking. |
|
264
1-31-08
DUCK RIVER CACHE,
Humphreys County Tennessee. Forty-six "ceremonial" bifaces
discovered by farm laborers in 1894 in a cultivated field. One
"sword" measures 28 inches (71.1 cm) long.
|
|
263
1-31-08
CUMBERLAND POINT, (Cast),
Found near Glasgow, Kentucky. |
|
262
12-31-07
SOLUTREAN LAUREL LEAF POINTS,
Plus other examples of Solutrean tools from the Upper Paleolithic
Period, 21,000 to 18,000 years ago in southwestern France. |
|
261
12-31-07
EASTERN STYLE "THIN" LONG FLUTED POINT,
(Cast),
This fluted point was found several years ago in
Otsego County, New York by Howard Arndt. Good example of thin long
fluted point from eastern U.S. |
|
260
11-30-2007
PERFORATED PEBBLE PENDANTS,
Several examples of some of the earliest jewelry from Illinois. One
example is from the Olive Branch Dalton site. |
|
259
11-30-2007
HOHOKAM POINT, (Cast),
Obsidian Hohokam point from south central Arizona in the Phoenix
basin area. |
|
258
10-31-2007
CUMBERLAND POINTS,
Several examples from Alabama,
Kentucky, Tennessee, Illinois and one from the Dutchess Quarry Cave
#1 site are shown and described. |
|
257
10-31-2007
CLOVIS POINT, SHAWNEE-MINISINK SITE, (Cast),
One of two Clovis points found on
a second terrace above the Delaware River in northeastern
Pennsylvania. |
|
256
9-30-2007
STATUES MADE OF FLUORITE
CRYSTAL, Four
Mississippian figures are discussed and illustrated, the Anna, Angel
site, Cahokia and the Johnston figures, plus an owl effigy bead. |
|
255
9-30-2007
HOLLOW BASE POINT, (Cast),
A fine example of a Hollow Base point from Predynastic Egypt. |
|
254
8-31-2007
SLUMP REPAIR ON MONKS MOUND,
A large excavation on the eastern slope of the largest earthen mound
in the western hemisphere to repair an erosion slump. |
|
253
8-31-2007
SCOTTSBLUFF POINT, (Cast),
This Scottsbluff point was found
in the 1930's or 40's on the Finley bison kill site in Sweetwater
County, Wyoming. |
|
252
8-31-2007
DALTON
POINT CACHE, These 13 Dalton points
are reported to have been found in Scott County, Missouri. |
|
251
7-31-2007
PLUMMETS,
These tear-drop shaped objects have been found in large numbers in
California, Florida and the central Mississippi Valley. Were
apparently used as ritual items & food gathering tools. |
|
250
7-31-2007
FOLSOM POINT, (Cast),
This Folsom point was found in 1977 in Barry County, Missouri. |
|
249
6-30-2007
JAMES HOWELL'S GLASS POINTS,
He uses many different types and
colors of glass that is melted together in a kiln then flaked into
colorful points. |
|
248
6-30-2007
FOLSOM POINT, (Cast),
This Folsom point was found in
northern Indiana and is made of Attica chert. |
|
247
5-31-2007
GORGETS,
Seven examples of two hole slate and cannel coal gorgets from
Kentucky, Missouri & Ohio. Largest example is approximately eleven
inches long. |
|
246
5-31-2007
HOLLAND POINT (Cast),
This point was found in Barry County, Missouri. Holland points
represent one of the many different forms of Dalton points. |
|
245
4-30-2007
SHAMAN'S SUCKING TUBES,
From a cache of twelve from the Coal Draw site in Wyoming & a
Glacial Kame canal coal tube pipe from northern Indiana. |
|
244
4-30-2007
ST. CHARLES "DOVETAIL POINT (Cast),
This point is made of Hixton silicified sandstone
and was found in Jo Daviess County, Illinois. |
|
243
3-31-2007
ROY MILLER'S LITHIC ART & THE FLINT RIDGE
QUARRY, Pictures of some of the most
colorful Flint Ridge flint and pit excavations at Flint Ridge in
eastern Ohio. |
|
242
3-31-2007
HOHOKAM POINT (Cast),
A "classic" example of a Hohokam
arrow point from south central, Arizona. |
|
241
2-28-2007
POLISHED CHERT LIZARD EFFIGIES,
These mysterious objects have been found in
southern Illinois & eastern Missouri |
|
240
2-28-2007
LATE STAGE FOLSOM PREFORM (Cast),
This large Folsom preform was found in two pieces
on a lake shore 4 years apart. ND |
|
239
1-31-2007
FLINTKNAPPER DAN THEUS,
He has made some of the largest fully fluted Cumberland points, up
to 9 3/4 inches long. |
|
238
1-31-2007
VERY THIN STEMMED ARROW POINT, (Cast)exceptional for it's thin cross section, less
than 1/16 inch (1.3 mm), eastern Saudi Arabia |
|
237
12-31-2006
PLAINS INDIAN STONE HEADED WAR CLUBS,
Double pointed, long handled,
stone war clubs, with leather hafting. |
|
236
12-31-2006
AGATE BASIN POINT (Cast),
Heavily resharpened example, from
St. Clair County, Illinois. |
|
235
11-30-2006
JIM HOPPER'S FLAKE-OVER-GRINDING POINTS. |
|
234
11-30-2006
LARGE END-SIDE SCRAPER (Cast),
East Wenatchee Clovis site,
Douglas Co., Washington. Largest uniface tool found on site. |
|
233
10-31-2006
CAHOKIA "GEM POINTS," As told by "old time" collectors,
Illinois. |
|
232
10-31-2006
CUMBERLAND POINT (Cast), Trinity
Cumberland cache site, KY. |
|
231
9-30-2006
CLOVIS POINT (Cast),
Illustrates the Enterline method of fluting, ILL. |
|
230
9-30-2006
HAMMERSTONES, History of hammerstones, Olduvai to
present. |
|
229
8-31-2006
BARNES
POINT-THEDFORD II SITE (Cast),
Lambton Co Ontario |
|
228
8-31-2006
MARINE
SHELL MASK GORGETS,
Arkansas and Illinois. |
|
227
7-31-2006
TRINITY
CUMBERLAND POINTS CACHE,
Lewis Co., Kentucky. |
|
226
7-31-2006
BONE
FISHHOOK (Cast),
Cahokia Mounds site, St. Clair Co. Illinois. |
|
225
6-30-2006
SICKLE
BLADE (Cast),
Egypt, Gerzean Period. |
|
224
6-30-2006
CAPTAIN
JEFF GOWER FLINTNAPPING IN IRAQ. |
|
223
5-31-2006
SHORT NOSE BONE GOD MASK (replaced with)
DOUBLE-NOTCHED CAHOKIA "GEM" POINT (Cast),
Known as "The Perry Parker" point. Cahokia
Mounds Site. |
|
222
5-31-2006
CLOVIS
IN THE NORTHEAST,
Windy
City site, by Michael Gramly |
|
221
4-30-2006
SIMPSON
POINT (Cast),
Harney Flats site,
Hillsborough Co., Florida. |
|
220
4-30-2006
TANGED
ATERIAN POINTS,
40,000 year old dart points, North Africa |
|
219
3-31-2006
TRIBUTE
POINT, (Cast)
One of the most artistic
arrow points, Spiro. |
|
218
3-31-2006
RAMEY
KNIVES,
Large Mississippian period Cahokia culture knives. |
|
217
2-28-2006
GEORGE
EKLUND'S NODULAR ART FORMS,
Modern art. |
|
216
2-28-2006
TYPE
V DANISH DAGGER, (Cast)
Northern Europe,
Late Neolithic |
|
215
1-31-2006
MINIATURE
& TOY STONE ARTIFACTS,
Eskimo,
Archaic, Miss. |
|
214
1-31-2006
FLUTED
FOLSOM POINT PREFORM, (Cast)
Lake Ilo site, ND |
|
213
12-31-2005
STONE
SPUDS,
Also known as spatulates, ritual axes, ceremonial axes |
|
212
12-31-2005
DEBERT-CLOVIS
POINT,
Oxford Co., Maine, Deep concave base. |
|
211
11-30-2005
CLOVIS
POINT, Found
1975, Fairfax Circle, VA, Green Normanskill chert |
|
210
11-30-2005
SIMPLE
CUMBERLAND FLUTING TECHNIQUE
"Swoose" |
|
209
10-31-2005
ETLEY
POINTS,
The
longest notched point type in Illinois & Missouri. |
|
208
10-31-2005
UN-FLUTED
FOLSOM PREFORM,
(Cast)
Lake Ilo site, ND |
|
207
9-30-2005
GOD
MASKS Legend
of He-Who-Wears-Human-Heads-As-Earrings |
|
206
9-30-2005
LATE-STAGE
CLOVIS PREFORM (Cast)
Thunderbird site, VA |
|
205
8-31-2005
CUMBERLAND
GRAVER SIDE-SCRAPER (Cast)
Phil Stratton |
|
204
8-31-2005
PHIL
STRATTON CUMBERLAND SITE,
encapsulated in loess KY. |
|
203
8-31-2005
CACHE
OF UNNOTCHED GODAR POINTS,
cache
of 14, MO |
|
202
8-31-2005
WOODY
BLACKWELL BIFACE (Cast),
A teaching biface. |
|
201
7-31-2005
CLOVIS
POINT (Cast),
Lange-Ferguson
mammoth kill site, SD. |
|
200
7-31-2005
FRANKE
COLLECTION AUCTIONED,
Southern IL collection. |
|
199
6-30-2005
FLUTED
DALTON PREFORMS,
Early & late stage, Olive Branch site |
|
198
6-30-2005
FLUTED
DALTON PREFORM (Cast),
Manufacturing break, MO. |
|
197
5-31-2005
PAINTED
MARBLE STATUES,
Etowah Mounds site, Georgia. |
|
196
5-31-2005
MIDLAND
SITE BONE NEEDLE (Cast),
Winkler Co., TX, 11,000 BP |
|
195
4-30-2005
COLLECTORS
CABINETS,
Pictures of old time collector displays. |
|
194
4-30-2005
ENGRAVED
"WHEATSTONE" (Cast),
Clovis,
Gault site, Texas. |
|
193
3-31-2005
"A
SHORT HISTORY OF FLINTKNAPPING,"
3 million years |
|
192
3-31-2005
HEAVILY
RESHARPENED CLOVIS (Cast),
Hoyt site, Oregon. |
|
191
2-28-2005
CLOVIS
SPURRED END-SCRAPER, (Cast),
Bostrom site, IL. |
|
190
2-28-2005
"BIG
BOY" PIPE FROM SPIRO MOUNDS,
Mississippian
culture. |
|
189
1-31-2005
"TWISTED"
MODERN POINTS,
1 pressure & 1 percussion flaked. |
|
188
1-31-2005
CACHE
VARIETY THEBES POINTS,
5 Large examples Illinois & IA |
|
187
1-31-2005
CLOVIS
GRAVER, (Cast),
Bostrom site, St. Clair
County, Illinois. |
|
186
12-31-2004
NEW
CLOVIS CACHE, McKINNIS CACHE,
St. Louis, Co., MO. |
|
185
12-31-2004
CLOVIS
CORE BLADE PERFORATOR, (Cast),
Bostrom
site |
|
184
11-30-2004
"DEATH'S
HEAD VASES"
Late
Mississippian Culture, AR-MO. |
|
183
11-30-2004
BARBED
ANTLER ARROW PT (Cast),
Etowah
Mounds, md C |
|
182
10-31-2004
Quartz
Crystal Clovis point,
One
of three from Fenn cache. |
|
CONTINUE
ON TO PAGE 2
FOR ARTICLES 132-156 |