thebutcher wrote on Apr 13^th, 2007 at 1:51am:


That was a big BUT , not a full moon!

but?

thanks for the pics IC....BUT.....

Those are some cool pics, thanks IC.

cool stuff IC. thanks for sharing

thebutcher

Here are the fur trade items:

It is illegal to take items from the parks, even parts of living plants, and I guess even rocks.  It is also illegal to dig for artifacts. 
When I look I scrutinize any bare spots of the campsite, especially around where the camp fire is or likely was in the past.  Seldom do I find anything larger than tiny chips of stone, from which you can get an idea of the kind of rock was being used.  A lot of chips probably mean a lot of past activity on the site.
I just toss mine back onto the campsite.  Most people either do not look or do not see them, those who do will be able to enjoy the finds as I initially did.
I happen to live on a point on Lake Vermilion, at the southern edge of the BWCA, which has apparently been a campsite for thousands of years.  We regularly find artifacts when digging in the vegetable garden on the point.  I've attached a couple photos of our finds.  With a treasure trove like this here, I do not have to go far, or take anything from the parks, to enjoy these items from the past.
Re: Photos are of arrowheads and pottery shards (c 1000 AD) and a few fur trade artifacts from the late 1700's to mid 1800's.  We found an 1863 nickle and also recently an 1897 silver dollar, the serpent side plate off a trade rifle, metal awls and buttons, musket balls.

dwight wrote on Apr 12^th, 2007 at 1:31am:

Because it's probably against the law to remove it. It is illegal to disturb archeological sites. The last research project I read about, had MNR approval and as I recall, put everything back where they found it. A little deeper perhaps but... Wish I remembered where I read it.

Don't know about the BW.

I think the obsidian cliff in Yellowstone is black obsidian...and plenty of it.  It is a bit closer than eastern Oregon.  Obviously it walked to the place you found it.  They have tracked trade routes across the North American continent with that kind of information.  Apparently it was a more extensive network of trade than most of us would recognize.

Why would you bury something like that, Reallife?
You found it, I guess you can do with it what you please, but why bury it?

I look for debitage too...interesting to see what kinds of flint the First peoples used.  There is no doubt some campsites have been considered 5 star-sites for around 3000 years.  There is lots of indication of Jasper, Gunflint Silica, and the Knife lake Siltstone.  Also more occasionally Hudson Bay area flints, Obsidian, and Knife River (western North Dakota) Flint, and Quartzites from southern MN and further south.