|
|
Post by nose2ground on Dec 20, 2008 15:18:51 GMT -5
thought this might be a good question to pose - several months back found a nice spearpoint, black flint. Decided to clean it up a bit, when realized it was not flint, but rather white quartz - with a very dark and sticky substance covering it. No naturally occurring tar in this area, any chance that it could have been coated with some type of poisonous resin that remained??? I did not take any chances at time and cleaned my hands like a physician after.
The residue is still on there, can post a pic later when I get my CF card cleared.
|
|
|
|
Post by arappaho on Dec 20, 2008 22:19:58 GMT -5
n2g, I have no idea what that might be
but post a pic when you get around to it.
|
|
|
|
Post by nose2ground on Dec 22, 2008 13:23:42 GMT -5
here goes nothing - keep in mind, this is all after I had started cleaning the point (Grease Lightning) - beforehand it was completely black. One side that got completely cleaned:  other side, which got cleaned but to a much lesser extent:  like I said, the stuff (what you can still see of it) became very sticky and rubbed off with a lot of difficulty. In all of the points I have found, never found one that was covered in something like this. |
|
|
|
Post by 41dave on Dec 22, 2008 13:27:58 GMT -5
fire/burn residue?
just a thought.
-Dave
|
|
|
|
Post by nose2ground on Dec 22, 2008 14:11:50 GMT -5
that is a good thought, had not really considered it but guess I should. Where's a good lab when you need one?
|
|
|
|
Post by amythestguy on Dec 22, 2008 14:29:50 GMT -5
" where's a good lab when you need one"? James I have told you before that you can come over and use my 400MHz nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy machine...oh wait that one is broken ..well we will just use the scanning electron micro to see what you have on that spearpoint...jeeez
|
|
|
|
Post by Dicky the Rockhunter on Dec 22, 2008 19:57:08 GMT -5
I have a darn good lab retriver dog ya can borrow a while Have ya thought of location near road . I do remember in the deep dark ages of road (dirt that is ) maintainance that many times they sprayed used oil and looked a lot like that. try a little cream mechanics hand cleaner.  |
|
|
|
Post by arappaho on Dec 22, 2008 22:08:08 GMT -5
Nice pics there, n2g. Great detail. That looks like quartzite doesn't it? Pretty little thing, and the point is really worked. I wonder if it was broken and reworked or if that's the way it was made to begin with? Yadkin type, Earred-Yadkin. 2000 yrs.old. And I'm thinking something along with Dicky as far as the sticky goo goes. A fire would certainly darken it but wouldn't usually make it sticky. Nice Find.  Joe |
|
|
|
Post by nose2ground on Dec 22, 2008 22:26:02 GMT -5
thanks very much for the ID Joe (it is quartzite), and for all the input from everyone.
No roads anywhere nearby, though who knows what has been here in the last 200 years - from what I was told, the old Federal Road may have run close by at one point. I guess one also can't be certain about what old farmers might have dumped and burned in these parts back in the day.
Reckon that settles it - will go ahead and clean the little bugger up and prep for display.
|
|
