From: ANDERSON, JEFF (CONTRACTOR)
Sent: Monday, March 04, 2002 10:51 AM
To: 'Brad Lierman'
Subject: RE: QUICK EMAIL TO RELIC BUDDY
Saturday March 2 2002 started out cold and rainy. I had planned to visit the Greenfield library with my brother Doug to review microfilm documentation at noon. The forecast for Saturday called for rain starting in the early morning just after Friday midnight and continuing throughout the day and into Sunday. That evening it was expected to get very cold, with the rain turning to snow. It was a strangely accurate forecast.
Ten o'clock found me reviewing information on my computer watching the rain come down through the window. Speaking to my brother I said to him that even with the rain, I felt like going out into the fields. This may be my only day to get out in a couple of weeks so the urge was strong. Doug said he could take the relative ease of a library but after the bad headache he had had the previous day and which was hanging on this morning with a mild hum, he had better pass on the hunting in this weather.
Other Relic PhotosI located a new site, which is very large in the previous weeks. The site comprises a complete quadrangle section and half of two other adjacent sections. A quadrangle section on a quadrangle map is 640 acres.
After talking to Doug, I quickly gathered my necessary items and took off down the road. The day was almost perfect for frogs, fish and hunting for relics. The sky was overcast with rain clouds, the rain had stopped from a steady downpour to intermittent drizzle, and time was available.
I found a nice looking area, and pulled up to the farmhouse in front. I was told the owners live down the road so back into the truck I went. The first location was a dud, nobody home.
I pulled up to the second location landowner house and knocked on the doorbell. The owners dirty and wet small dog jumping up on me starved for some attention. The muddy wet paw prints were better than a snarling mean dog, so I took it in stride. Unfortunately they were not home either. I was getting wetter then I would likely get while in the field just attempting to get permission. Bummer.
The landowner of field number three was the winning location. After speaking to the landowners and getting permission to hunt this large area I had the difficult task of finding a place to park where I would not get stuck. Finally I found a less than soggy location and pulled two wheels off onto the spongy shoulder. The rain had continued to fall since leaving the house so suiting up was difficult. Trying to put on boots already muddy from a previous hunt and rain gear outside in a quick manner to minimize getting wet is difficult if not virtually impossible.
Due to the weather I did not make it to the field until about 11AM and then after getting permission and suiting up, almost 11:45AM before hitting the field. I searched for about 5 hours, as long as I could handle it and the light held out. I eventually had to give it up, my keister was dragging.
I only was able to search about half of the site, and only about 25% of this in a good pattern. More rain should make the field produce again, and I am teething to get to the remaining area. There is nothing like walking in a muddy field during a cold steady rain which last all day when the temperature is 40-degrees. The wind conditions made it feel colder especially when facing the wind.
For scale reference, the large knife in the center bottom is exactly 3 inches long, 1.25 inches wide. Two complete hafted scrapers in the lower left corner. A nice complete hafted scraper to the right of the large knife. Right of this are three blade tips, right of these are a deep red side notch - whole.
Above this moving right to left are two nice complete thumb scrapers; a nice very thin Leroy bifurcated base, two flake scrapers, two large tools, another blade tip.
On top, second from left is a double pointed blade, next to it is another complete hafted scraper (looks like a broken point without the tip), another small complete point, then ten broken parts of points.
I did find three complete hammerstones, with polish evident on the bottom and a small dimple on one, peck marks are visible.
When the day was done, I was covered in wet soggy mud up to my ankles and spattered up to the knees. My legs and back still feel the stain of lifting and putting down the extra pounds of mud over and over again. It was fun.
So here I sit three days later banging out a quick email on the computer to tell the tale of the relics found, still feeling the mud workout in my body. All in all it was not a bad day, a good workout. How was your weekend?
By Jeff Anderson
Tuesday, March 05, 2002
© 2002 Jeff Anderson