Washing Rocks

Today Mom and I did not go to the site, we needed a little break! I did not sit around all day however, I washed my artifacts, well mostly.
I sat on our back porch with a bucket and toothbrush, washing away. While I was washing I looked closer at all of the artifacts that we had discovered and also the rocks which I made Mom and Micah save. I was very happy that I saved all of the rocks and pebbles that we found becasue I think that I may have found some pottery!!! and not just any pottery, we may have found a rim sherd!! Now this may not sound exciting to you but a section of the rim of a pot, so the lip area, is sometimes the most diagnostic part of a ceramic vessel. This is what I set out to do, find rim sherds. I am taking this piece and a few others to the Ohio Historical Society with me tomorrow when I go to look back over Baby's field notes. Perhaps someone at the Society may say for certain that I have pot sherds.
Also I looked at the bullet some more. There is a "H" on the top of the bullet, and an indent, which shows that it has been fired. There are a few different things I have found on the internet about "H" stamped shells. One points to a shell casing that was manufactured in the 1800s. Now this is not the caliber that mine is but may lead to something. I shall keep looking. Maybe I'll take it to the shooting range and see if anyone has any ideas.
Another interesting find was an odd looking stone that has two small holes in it. I am also taking this stone to the Ohio Historical Society because the holes do not look natural. Now Native Americans did have a kind of drill that they used so it is possible for them to have made the holes, I just want to be certain I am not going crazy.
Tomorrow after my 9am meeting at the Society Mom and I will be going back out into the field so wish us luck!!!

Day three of excavations

Day three of excavations and the heat and the dirt keep on coming!
Today Micah came out to help and it made things a lot easier. We started where we left off yesterday by extending the shovel test counterclockwise from the NW corner to the SE. The buckets of dirt were then sifted by yours truly, Micah and Mom.  This was dirty work and I got covered in it.

We found some more chert, what appears to be a projectile point tip, another piece of charcoal and a bullet casing. Dad looked at the bullet and says it is a 17 caliber, which would put it maybe 30-40 years old. There is a mark on the bullet but we have not identified it as of yet. It was kind of disheartening to find the bullet amongst artifacts which seem to be from Native Americans. Though we also found pieces of a beer can that were closer to the surface. It is evident that people have been out to the area and perhaps people have gone shooting? The charcoal that I have found I will hopefully carbon date and perhaps it will help with dates of the artifacts. Maybe someone shot into the ground? I kind of hope so.

Mom and I are taking a day off tomorrow and it is a well needed rest day, I plan on putting together paper work and washing off artifacts a bit.

Look at the trench

Sifting dirt oops sorry, sediment

view from above