Brooke Poore Ada

Archaeological News Amazing Finds at Local Middle School By Brooke Poore PRATHER, CA

On September 25, 2008, an archaeological dig took place at Foothill

Middle School. It happened on a Thursday morning and we found eight different artifacts. Robby Owens, Keith Dekoning, Brett Garrison, Travis Cornwell, Sarah Swengal, Bowen Kehn, and I were involved in the dig. We dug in pit number six. Altogether we found eight items; seven were from the Mesolithic age and one from the very recent hunter-gatherers. The one from the very recent hunter-gatherers was a chip. The chip was a dirty, small disc about one inch wide. The crisp disc could have been a possible food source. The Mesolithic tools where two spears, two hammers, a handsaw, an ax/pick, and an arrow. The first spear was made of a long stick with an obsidian tip tied on with twine and could have

been

used

for

hunting. The second spear was a short stick with an obsidian tip tied on with straw and has a pronged end and could have been used to hunt. The first hammer was a short stick with a rock head tied on with twine and could have been used to hammer or hit things. The other hammer was a rock head tied to a stick with hay and could have been used to hammer or hit things. The hand saw was constructed out of a short stick with an animal jaw for the tip tied on with twine and could

Archaeological News have been used for hunting or cutting wood. The ax/pick was a stick with a pointed rock tied securely with rope to a short stick and could have been used to hit, smash, dig, and maybe even cut wood. The arrow is a small stick with leather tying the obsidian arrow head on and could have been used to hunt. I feel we had great success with our dig and we found two spears, two hammers, a hand saw, an arrow, an ax/pick, and a chip. I had fun and would like to do it again.