|
Charlie
Hatchett Finds
Central
Texas, near the Wilson-Leonard Site
| After viewing this website in
2005,
Charlie Hatchett, a collector near Austin, has found some interesting artifacts
along a stream in
an area of Texas that has long been the subject of professional
investigation. His finds, in rather uncertain
stratigraphic context, include
lithic artifacts diagnostic of
several time periods, and some
quite similar to those at 33GU218 in Ohio.
|
|
Classic
two-faced image; quasi-anthropomorphic face at
right end, bird head left.
|
|
Above: Note the distinct
bird head at the left end of this implement, and the more
abstract one at the right. Below: This same
tool shown beneath one of similar form and size from Day's Knob.
|
|
Apparently
a bird-form pendant, length 5 cm (2").
|
|
Another
pendant, 11.5 cm (4.5").
|
| A feature
carved into limestone bedrock, with an appearance and metallic
residue suggesting the
bottom of a smelting
furnace. Mr. Hatchett is of the opinion that this is of
Pleistocene age, and that forced air
was applied through the hole in the floor via a so-far
unverified shaft drilled through the bedrock. Assuming
this is in fact an iron smelting furnace, this author would
propose that ore and charcoal were fired in a structure built
above the remaining recessed feature, with one or more tuyeres
entering at or near ground level. |
| Apparently manmade iron-bearing
bird figures (their bird form was first identified by this author), very interesting in the
context of the
furnace-like structure.
Similar iron artifact
material has long been observed in Ohio. Radiocarbon
dating of this, and contextual artifact evidence, seem to
indicate that it is of Early to Middle Woodland age.
|
|
Top
of Page
| Click your browser's
"Back" button to return to the point from
which you entered this page. |
HOME
|
|
