I JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO CENTRAL FLORIDA WHERE I USE TO LIVE. AN AREA ABOUT 60 MILES NORTH OF TAMPA. I KNEW OF AN OLD INDIAN SITE THAT DATES BACK TO THE EARLY ARCHAIC PERIOD (ABOUT 12,000 YEARS AGO). BEING THE OLD ARROWHEAD HUNTER I AM, I JUST HAVE TO DO A LITTLE DIGGING. I LOCATED AN OLD CREEK BED JUST DOWN STEAM FROM AN OLD CHERT QUARRY WHERE THE INDIANS OF DAYS PAST USE TO CHIP AWAY AT THOSE HUGE BOULDERS TO GATHER THE WORKINGS FOR THEIR POINTS AND OTHER TOOLS NEEDED FOR THEIR EVERYDAY LIVES. THE OLD CREEK BED WAS DRY WITH A SANDY BOTTOM AND ONE HAD ONLY TO DIG DOWN ABOUT A FOOT IN MOST PLACES TO GET TO THE FIRM GROUND BENEATH. AT FIRST I FOUND NUMEROUS BITS OF FLAKE RANGING IN SIZE FROM THE VERY SMALL UP TO MUCH, MUCH LARGER PIECES. AND THEN SUDDENLY I FOUND A POCKET BETWEEN SOME OLD TREE ROOTS WHERE THERE WAS A DOZEN OR SO OF COMPLETED TOOLS. AMONG THOSE OLD TOOLS I FOUND A BEAUTIFUL HAMMER STONE AND SEVERAL KNIFES. THE LARGEST WAS ABOUT 6"LONG. DAMN I WAS EXCITED AND CONTINUED THE DIG. BUT THAT FIND WAS IT FOR THE DAY.
UPON LEAVING THE DIG LATE THAT AFTERNOON I STOPPED BY THE SITE OF AN OLD FARM SITE AND WHIPPED OUT BY METAL DETECTOR, HOPING MY LUCK WOULD CONTINUE. BUT ALAS NO MORE THRILLS FOR THE DAY---ONLY TIN CANS AND OLD SQUARE NAILS SOME OF WHICH I KEPT.
I WILL RETURN TO THE DIG ON MY NEXT TRIP TO THE BROOKSVILLE, FL AREA LATER THIS YEAR IF MY HEALTH PERMITS.
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