It feels so good to get my hands consistently in the dirt again. A long windy, semi-white, pretty cold winter season is now on the shelf in my Franklin Planner. I’ve been transplanting firs and spruce for a month from my protected beds and out in the permanent field for eventual Christmas living rooms.
Finally the Internet and government coupons produced a couple of residential landscaping jobs. I was planting six big, green giant arborvitae on a hill overlooking Edgewood off Hanson Road when my shovel hit a different sound in the soft gravelly alluvium. After examining the stone, I showed my digging partner Bruce an ancient carved limonite axe with the finger depression, concave end, and traditional triangular profile.
Bruce grunted and continued to dig the pits for the conifers. I tucked the stone in the truck and didn’t discuss the implications to the retired landowner.
An hour later, I’m digging holes for my baby Christmas trees on the back slope by John Sauers’ place, and I dig up a second, smaller, volcanic gabbro axehead in Berkley.
Two stones, 30 miles apart, one dizzy digger, two different native cultures, made this idealistic landscaper think, “Goodness, somebody is trying to send me a message.”
It was good to sweat winter flesh, replant America, and dream about who was here first.
As spring flushes in, let me recommend two great paddle launches:
– Turner Creek off Route 213 has tremendous lotus spreads and abundant pileated woodpeckers and eagles in the undisturbed old growth hill protecting the bay
– Hitch Pond Road off Laurel Road has a great kayak launch into Trap and Trussum Pond in southern Delaware.
I can give you more distinct directions at (410) 457-4766.
Go play in the vernal frog pools and look for your own stone reminders.
BOBCAT BOB – Keep the faith brother!
Bob I swear you have the best luck when it comes to finding cool stuff like that! What are the ‘Chance’s’ of that! Glad to see you writing for the Dagger.
wouldn’t it have been a little better Bob, to have told the landowners of the find, then ask them if you could have the items? Perhaps the landowners would then be aware of what to look for when they are out and about their property digging a garden or planting something. With your expertise, you could ‘teach’ them what to look for, perhaps opening a door that they were unaware of. Most likely they would have given you your ‘find’…Some arrowheads were found by folks here on Rustica, and when they were brought to my attention I had no problem letting the finders keep the treasure. However, after that I was on my toes just in case I got lucky. I never did, but my late wife Ann did find two quartz arrowheads while she was working in the garden.
Just sayin’.
Great write-up. Only those who are “aware” would appreciate what is seen. Finders/keepers. Impossible to teach the masses about the ancients – they don’t care anyway.
Finders/keepers? On private land? Just try that on mine and see what you find.
point is phil, bob, a teacher, could point out what it was and maybe the landowner would know if he/she ever came across another one.
I agree, Todd, but a key component of of all of this is letting the landowner have the opportunity to decide the fate of the object that came out of their land.
This is setting a bad example by this teacher, but as Captain Renault said in Casablanca, “I’m shocked, shocked to find that going on here!”
as soon as i uncovered the stonetool i went to the landowners door to tell her.betty is part cherokee and was delighted to know. the second stone was in my own backyard
well, thank God!