Anarchaeology.com

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/6372987p-5684968c.html

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

First let me try to describe exactly what Topper is like. When I first got there I was hoping to make a spectacular find of some kind. I found out how unlikely that was. Topper is really just an ancient factory. There, along the Savannah river is a huge outcropping of chert. The vein of chert actually extends under the river and into Georgia.

Humans did not actually inhabit Topper. They came there to harvest chert and manufacture their tools. Naturally they took the tools with them, unless they accidently misplaced or lost one. Even so, artifacts are being found there at every level. But mostly the sediment is full of chips and debittage.

It's a very large site that slopes down toward the water, where the Pleistocene Terrace is most available. There is where the 16 ft. deep excavation is at, with the earliest evidence of human activity. I and the other "newbies" worked up top, but we went to watch the activity down below every day.

In the evening, we had guest speakers and lively discussion. It was on Tuesday night, at supper, that Al Goodyear told me about the Firestone Supernova Theory. But that's another thread. I had no cell phone bars and no computer connection. Very frustrating.

I'll post pics of some of the artifacts that have been found there.

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

Here are some that Al has posted on the internet.

These tools are pre-clovis and were not on display at Topper. The excavation has continued and is at a deeper level now.

DavidCampbell · Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 8:12 am Post subject:

Thanks for the thread, Beagle. Those photos are the best I've run across yet on the Topper artifacts. There's no question in my mind that these are artifacts not geofacts. It's abundantly obvious. I know Mike Collins expressed doubts early on, especially in terms of the carbonized material being directly associated with the lithics. Do you know how many of the critics Al Goodyear has won over at this point? The excavations and analysis seem to have come a long way since the initial breaking of this story. Also, did you happen to see the layer of magnetic spherules that Firestone tells of finding when he visited the site about a year or so ago?

I've been meaning to take some of my grandson's supermagnets to test around some excavations I've made here on Caney Creek, but the weather is just not cooperating and neither is my health.
_________________
David Campbell
"The going's getting weird, so I'm turning pro."

Charlie Hatchett · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 898 Location: Austin, Texas

Charlie Hatchett · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 898 Location: Austin, Texas

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

Sorry for the delay...it's a busy summer.

Before I start talking about the Pleistocene Terrace, I want to mention that while I was working up top, we excavated down through middle archaic and late archaic paleoindian strata. Then we had no evidence at all of human occupation for nearly 10" of sediment before we came upon Clovis strata. The archaeologist in charge of this site said that their is usually a 800- 1500 yr. gap after Clovis before any human re-occupation. He said that was true in other Clovis sites in the US. I don't know if he meant all of them.

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

Charlie posted an earlier picture of Al Goodyear standing in a pit, with written descriptions. Since that time the work there has had a shelter put up to help preserve the work.

This is where all the current interest is focused. When I was there, all the staff were very helpful and friendly. Initially, I left no doubt with them that I was interested in evidence of human activity 50,000 yrs. BP. So a nice middle-aged man (about my age) gave me a personal tour of the pavilion. He really knew his stuff. I'm looking at his business card now.
It reads:

Carey (last name)
Address in Alabama
Phone number
E-mail address

Archaeology Technician:
Specializing in Lithic Analysis

I didn't know there was such a title/person. After he showed me everything and explained it all very well, I can tell you that I am forever convinced that humans were in North America 50,000 yrs. ago.

DavidCampbell · Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 2:14 pm Post subject:

Beagle, I run into that job title once in awhile in job listings at the Texas Archeological Society. It's usually a Cultural Resource Management position but occasionally the Texas Historical Society and other similar sponsors advertise for technicians too. I think in layman's terms it translates to a low level grunt worker. Very Happy

_________________
David Campbell
"The going's getting weird, so I'm turning pro."

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

I'm sure that Carey would agree with you completely. Laughing

He enjoys his work though. He is retired from the US Navy, and has a degree in chemistry. I don't see many people as excited as he is with his work. He was one of the few people who, like myself, pulled in with an RV. So he and I were next door neighbors for a week. Carey was there for all of the 5 weeks, and has been there for the last 8 yrs.

This pic is from the recent USC publication, posted in another thread.
I believe that Carey is the white haired man in the red shirt. They only allow experienced people in the pit, although people can watch from the new viewing platform.

Now, most importantly, if one looks closely, directly across from the ladder is a protrusion sticking out of the wall. This is the "core" that has everyone so excited. It's about the size of a bowling ball. As I was carefully shown, it bears the unmistakeable signs of human work on it.

Frankly, after talking to and looking at Charlies lithics for the last year, I would have known that anyway. It's much more obvious than many of the artifacts that he has posted.

The real kicker here, is that this core is situated a few inches below and to the right of some organic matter on the same wall. That's not visible in this pic. This matter is devoid of C14. Other tests on the core and other objects in the pit include TL and OSL.

The organic matter was then assigned a tentative date of 50,000 yrs. BP. The core, which is slightly lower, was given a date of AT LEAST 50,300 yrs. BP.

This is exactly how it was explained to me by Al Goodyear and Carey.

Charlie Hatchett · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 898 Location: Austin, Texas

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

You bet Charlie, but all I can say for sure about the handaxe is that it came the Clovis/pre-Clovis level. Tom and others were saying that they were pretty sure it was pre-Clovis but that it had to go to the lab for testing. That's why nobody could touch it. It's hard to tell but Tom actually is holding it with a napkin.

This is Tom showing me the handaxe. He was the Archaeologist in charge of this site. I had told Tom that I had friends that would like proof that their were handaxes in North America. I said that to him one evening over a couple of beers. In this picture he had just said "Tell your friends that there ARE handaxes in North America."

He also does a lot of marine archaeology. He brought his scuba gear and boat with him, and on weekends he explored the Savannah river, which went right by the pavillion down below.

Beagle · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 31 Location: Tennessee

This appears to be a handaxe and the one you're referring to I think Charlie. It never came out of the ground the week I was there. This one is from a very early period, but I can't put a date to it. I think you got it right in your earlier post.

I remember that you drew some lines on this that were significant. Do it again if you like and explain it to me please.

Charlie Hatchett · Joined: 06 Apr 2006 Posts: 898 Location: Austin, Texas