Sharkbyte Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Well, Here is another one of my finds that will probably get several different opinions. Let me first start with my opinion and then, please feel free to reply back with your opinions. I recently missed the mark by a mile on my thoughts of an item I found but I learned so much information about it that it was well worth being wrong. I believe what I have here is Heavilly Mineralized Fire Embers. My Son and I recently came across a fair amount of what looks like to us to be embers that have burned down and through intense heat, they became stuck or imbedded somewhat permanantly to the Blue Clay Hardpan in the bottom of my favorite fosill collecting site. I have no way of knowing the age and won't go so far as to say millions of years old but I do believe it to be Mid to Late Archaic in age. Here is why I think so. This creek in this area will once in a while give up Indian artifacts that date as far back as the Middle Archaic period. At or very close to the spot we are finding these fire remains, I have found a few Spear Points, A Bone pin from a Split Deer leg bone, a Trigger Awl, a Thumb or Paddle Drill, and Various Pottery Shards from the bottom of the creek. This location has a large fossil bed of various Shark Teeth and Fossil Shells and there must have been a lot of Native American activity at the creek collecting shells for tools, food, water, and clay for pottery. The embers we are finding are laying on the bottom of the creek under a foot of water and another foot of sand directly on top of the hardpan. The embers are stuck to a uniform 1/4"-1/2" thick bed of clay that has been completely mineralized. On some of the pieces, intense heat has curled the clay and caused it to crack. I could not catch with the camera the tiny crystalization that fills in all the cracks and voids in the clay between the embers but there actually is quite a good deal of crystalization going on. These pieces have mineralized so densly that they are VERY heavy for their size. The embers will leave a black smut mark on anything you rub it on. I am only speculating that Indians were directly involved in the making of this fire but isn't the wonder of the hidden story behind fossils and artifacts why so many people find them fascinating? Question, Can anyone recomend something that I can spray on or apply the the surface to protect the embers as they are very fragile and easily dislodged? I don't want to ruin the value of the pieces with something that will alter the condition to much. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 Here is another section of burnt wood. This piece is very interesting in that it has not completely burn down to embers as the piece in the other picture has. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeDOTB Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 Interesting pieces. I wouldnt know where to begin on that one. Are they both completely solid/fossilized? DO, or do not. There is no try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 Hello Mike, From past experience, I am going to try to be carefull making claims against my opinion so I don't know for sure where the line would be drawn between "Old as Dirt" and "fossilized" but I think it could easily be argued in and out of both catagories. I am sure that the state of preservation can be verified by someone with a better knowledge of fossilization than myself but these pieces are so cool. The cracks in the clay have filled with very tiny quartz crystals and the clay is now rock hard and VERY dense and heavy. The embers are fused to the clay bed and the second picture that has not burned away to embers feels petrified. I can not pick it with my finger nails. Hope this information I have provided returns some good discussion. Interesting pieces. I wouldnt know where to begin on that one. Are they both completely solid/fossilized? "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tracer Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 so you've ruled out xyloid lignite? don't know what formation/age you're dealing with... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Dente Posted June 28, 2011 Share Posted June 28, 2011 I think Tracer is correct with lignite. Lignite is a common find in the rivers that flow over some of the Cretaceous Formations in North Carolina. The lignite pieces that I have collected from some of the rivers frequently have small veins of pyrite or marcasite crystals. I think I can see that in your photos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 Thanks Tracer, I will see if I can find out more information about it. so you've ruled out xyloid lignite? don't know what formation/age you're dealing with... "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted June 28, 2011 Author Share Posted June 28, 2011 Hello, Sounds like I might have lignite. This creek flows right through a Cretaceous deposit and runs down to the Cape Fear river about a 1/2 mile away. It makes for some very interesting pieces. This is why I enjoy back and forth communication with other members because eventually you get several different bits of information to add to your collection . I think Tracer is correct with lignite. Lignite is a common find in the rivers that flow over some of the Cretaceous Formations in North Carolina. The lignite pieces that I have collected from some of the rivers frequently have small veins of pyrite or marcasite crystals. I think I can see that in your photos. "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordpiney Posted June 29, 2011 Share Posted June 29, 2011 you should dig into the lignitic layer, if possible, and look for amber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkbyte Posted June 29, 2011 Author Share Posted June 29, 2011 Hello, Thanks for the suggestion. I will give it a try but not sure how I am going to go about it. No matter how dry the season has been this little creek always has water running through it and removing the top sand layer is very difficult. Most of the better finds I have made at this location was only accomplished by pushing my hands down through the sand and feeling the hard pan surface for fossils. This has produced 7 large Megalodons in this way as well as the lignite. Where the sand is shallow (only a few inches deep) I can use a screen and shovel but these shallow areas only seem to produce small sharkteeth. I will put more effort into it however. Thanks again. Bobby "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Confucius Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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