Lost And Found.

When the packing begins, you just never know what you might find packed away in the attic or in the bottom of a closet or elsewhere. While going through some stuff in my closet this week, I found several odds and ends and other things that I really have no use for anymore. And one thing in particular.

Dig and you shall find!

Several years ago we built a custom spec home and I was doing some grading work with my tractor. Building a home on a steep hillside was a challenge and even more so trying to stabilize the dirt in the back yard until the lawn developed. I had to constantly move the dirt that rains would wash down the hill, back up the hill to fill in the washed out spots.

One day I drug a load up from the bottom of the hill and while spreading it out with a rake, I found a piece of Indian flint. Actually, it was more than just a piece of flint, it was a rather large and well-preserved (perfect) knife point, nearly 4.5 inches in length.

Knife points from the Archaic period (approx. 8000–1000 B.C.) were versatile, multi-purpose tools, often serving as both projectile tips (for atlatl spears/darts) and hand-held or hafted cutting implements. They were essential to the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, with their design evolving to include notched and stemmed bases for secure attachment to handles.

Knife Point From the "Archaic" Period

I took the perfect specimen to a friend in Tupelo who happens to be a expert collector, and after about a 5 minute assessment, he offered to purchase it from me. Now, being that I've been around the block a few times, my gut instinct told me that it was worth more than what he offered me on the spot. Besides I had no knowledge of these things and he could have been taking advantage of me. So, I declined his offer and away I went.

Just a portion of my flint findings.

So 5 years have passed since finding this piece, worth approximately the same as what my friend offered me back then - $400 (damn those gut instincts). Over the years since finding this artifact, I did my own homework and it all seemed to coincide with his initial assessment. The single piece pictured above is estimated to be from the Archaic Period with an approximate age of over 5,000 years. The key indicator is with the type of stone, which is not indigenous to the Tupelo, Mississippi area. This piece likely came from the eastern Tennessee river basin by way of nomadic tribes, long before the Chickasaw Indians settled in this area. I've also found many other pieces and arrow points and even numerous shards of pottery (Chickasaw), but nothing as splendid as the "big find."

Cashing Out!

Anywho, a lost treasure has been found in my closet and I'm cashing in on it. It should almost cover the cost of a one-way ticket to the Philippines. I doubt it would do me any good in the Philippines, unless I really wanted to get back to the basics of surviving as one in harmony with nature. But I don't think so.

I'm perfectly fine with moving to the Philippines and taking a step back in time, but not quite that far! "Tabo" showers are about as primitive as I want to get.