Archaeologists-Zooarchaeologist/Anthropologist?

Hi,
You should check with your local Library,most times they will be able to help you, with books or they may know someone who has done lots of research on the catawba indians, also if you have a book store that sells books on local history they should beable to get you some books on them, and you can try your community college, I know here in burke co, we have had at least one or two teachers from our college that found pottery , arrow heads and etc.. along the catawba river and i believe they wrote books to, last year they found one of the first spanish forts in n.c. and along with the spanish relics they found some indian items to..

Yes, the nicer points are believed to have been traded to the Indians along trade routes, etc.It would have been a prized possession to have very nice quality points.[ puts meat on the table] Many Frenchman were operating the trade routes for years. Most everything was traded, bartered, etc. along these routes.Catawba Indians were also fine pottery makers, but finding a full piece is next to impossible. But, it is very easy to find shards if you know how to recognize these.They. aslo, made fish traps & small dams that were placed in the rivers. Many of these trails later became dirt roads, & then paved roads, that we are using, today.
Most Catawba camps were on the Catawba River, mostly on the northern side, which usually is the higher elevation. Many of my points came from those areas, some came from small islands in the river,& some were found while diving the Catawba River. Look for higher ground, near the river, find a freshly plowed field, after a good rain, get permission from owner, & start looking for the small quartz deposits." THINK SMALL" when looking & you will find more!!! Thinking about & looking for the pertfect 6" Paleo point, & you will overlook everything in the above showcase I posted.

I know I'm probably running this thread into the ground, but I'm awfully excited. I think I'm going the club that Esteban linked me to! At any rate, went 'lookin' last night/this afternoon on the hill where we live and found these things. I think it's interesting so much of this stuff is found in the same vacinity...makes ya wonder...err maybe I just have a vivid imagination!

A couple of points, nothing whole...


...plus this interesting something- too think to be a point, but shaped like one...looks like something was wrapped around it. The make up of the stone/bone seems to be just that, stone or bone- maybe fossilized? I dunno...argh, wishful thinking!


The other point is this one, it has these lines or groove like things on it, like perhaps it came from a shell...the end of it is curved too...I thought it was neat.

__________________
-Christina

C bar J Farm
Statesville, NC

Muddy Sneakers Photography
www.freewebs.com/muddy_sneakers

Looks like plain rock with a triangular shape. Don't see any sign of flaking. Maybe the photo just does not show, is there any?

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Mess with me? I may let karma take care of it. Mess with my family? I become Karma.

Not it's not flaking, but I don't think it's an arrowhead though...it's definately not just a plain old rock...my pictures aren't very good, the camera sucks...sorry..

__________________
-Christina

C bar J Farm
Statesville, NC

Muddy Sneakers Photography
www.freewebs.com/muddy_sneakers

[QUOTE=second_noah]The scraper is around maybe 3 inches long and an inch wide at the flat side base. It's proabably 2 inches tall at it's highest plane. Would this have been attached to some sort of a handle? It fits in my hand but the flat side looks really worn down, as if it had a handle at one point.
QUOTE]

It depends on the tribe. I'm more familiar with tribes on the West Coast, and in particular, the Maidu. Generally speaking though, they were hand-held. They'd be used for cutting meat and scraping fat off of hides in order to cure them.