Monday, January 25, 2010

No takers on bones? Bring on the points!

Alright, I will admit that identifying bones sounds like an impossible task at times, but surely a couple of you recognized last week's mystery bones as belonging to none other than a wild turkey! After all, these are the bits that you see sitting on the platter following most holiday meals! What other sort of creature could have such a long drumstick? Ah well, we hope that you will take notice of the bones as you gnaw on your next turkey leg, and perhaps recognize them out in the field. As a general rule bird bones are easier to identify because they are much lighter weight-wise, with many of the bones being hollow. Those hollow bones sure make it a lot easier for a bird to fly, though it also means that birds are much more fragile (though keep in mind that turkeys are a bit more robust than your average sparrow!)

This week I thought I would give you all a chance to work on your projectile point identification skills. I have provided all of you with some tools in previous blog posts, and hope you will put them to use one this week's mystery artifact.
While this point was found in St. Mary's county, not Port Tobacco, it should still provide you with an excellent chance to sharpen your skills! Also, do not worry if you have trouble pinning down one particular name for this point (some of the categories can be vague)--I welcome any efforts to describe the point's characteristics. I hope to hear from you!

Kelley