Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Indian Artifacts - Volume II

I have no idea if this would work on a skull, but about 20 years ago, I found a huge hornets nest, biggest I've ever seen. Cut it down after the first cold spell, hoping the hornets would be gone, and sprayed it down good in clear varnish. It's still holding together.

That's been my experience with ancient bones/skulls.

I mentioned earlier in the thread I hoped your skull wouldn't do that...

Not much advice... Sorry.

Lost an excellent deer antler knapping tool to rapid decay after I dug it up. Couple of bison skulls, and some mammoth bones as well. Even the teeth seem to crumble.

I'd contact a museum and ask them.

Thinking there must be some reasonable ways to preserve bone artifacts for the longer term or else there's going to be a bunch of highly disappointed owners of taxidermy and "European" bare skull mounts when they start crumbling away...

Found these at just over 10,000’ elevation...

There's a huge difference in ancient bone that has been in damp conditions for hundreds of years, and bone that was recently killed, and kept dry.

I love obsidian points. Never found enough to satisfy me though...

I would super glue the large pieces together and coat it with something like XTC 3D. We use it all the time for coating and sealing sculptures. It's a 2 part brushable epoxy used for 3d printed objects. It will dry hard as a rock but will leave a gloss. You can fix that by gently scuffing the whole thing with a fine Scotch bright pad after its cured.

That sounds like what I need Beansnbacon. Where does one procure XTC3D?

I don’t have any big pieces falling off yet but you can tell they’re drying and changing due to the gaps between the bones widening. My dad found a giant elk antler that was obviously ancient and had washed out of the bank at the same place as the buffalo skulls. In no time at all it had cracked and started to sluff apart. A shame really as it came from an area where elk haven’t been around for at least 150yrs and I bet it was way older than that, the base on it was also likely the largest I’ve ever seen.

Yeah you need to save it. Smooth on makes it. I believe you can get a kid for around $30 on Amazon. It goes a long way and you'll find other uses for it too.

Not much action on one of the best threads the Fire has ever seen IMO. So I’ll bump it up.

Went for a walk today and found a few goodies. Best two being these itty bitty rascals. A Harrel and a Washita, both perfect and found about 30 yards apart.

Nice!

Nice onesman!!! grade 10,s man !!!

Me and slumlord got about 3 or 4 weeks before the plowing and dirt working cycles start up.
This thread will pick up dude.

We got a lot of new proved spots found last spring on the winter wheat and soybean cycle.
This year is corn.
Lots more soil turning and prep to plant.
Anxious to hit these " new" spots.

Not being spotted by others hitting the usual spots is gonna be key for us keeping em under our hats.

Ruthless hobby......

This guy only plows this field about every 5 years or so. Last time he plowed it he ran a moldboard or subsoiler through it and pulled up old ash and charcoal from fire pits. My dad and uncles found 21 little Washitas and Harrells in one walk that time. If he discs it and we get a rain it should be even better.

We went to the creek before we hit the field site and found a little bit of stuff but nothing spectacular, few knives and one side notch point along with a clear lance. I found the base of what would have been a dynamite Dalton, red and gray Alibates, would have been a blue ribbon winner if it wasn’t broken. Fun day anyway and as the April rains hit it should get better and better as the creek turns the gravel bars over and washes new prizes out of the banks.

2 long term occupation sites we found last year from paleo/trans paleo to late archaic hold alot of promise for me and slumlord.

Another site we found on long elimination/ confirmation walks is gonna produce for us also.

Then we found a blantently obvious spot we gotta be careful getting spotted in or the locust will descend on us.

2 or 3 other short term sites we found.

Then the usual good producing spots.


Also have a long term spot behind the house hoping they plant a delibrate failed tobacco crop on it.
Gets plowed seldomly.
Everything from trans paleo to late woodland along the cumberland.
Would like ta get slumlord down their with me if they would plow it to plant this spring.

Those are spectacular Kid

Last time that was plowed, my my hemoglobin was about 7.5. Took me a week to eat a whole sandwich 🤢☠️
I’ve wanted to hit that particular spot ever since.

BEAUTIMOUS

Thats so cool! As a kid I always wished I lived in a place where arrow heads survived. Ive always wanted to find one.