Neat find from the original Americans...

[irwin]

After living on our place for over 30 years, I discovered about 75 grindholes (bedrock mortars) about 4 years ago after clearing brush. There's another two dozen nearer the house we found 20 years ago. I've found single mortars here and there, maybe another dozen so far.

Besides being located in brush so thick you couldn't walk through it, these rocks were covered by duff and moss so the holes weren't obvious.

The first pic is after removing the brush but before cleaning the rock to reveal the grindholes, which is the second photo. Then some more I found in that same area.

A nearby university's archeology classes have been recording and measuring these, and I've learned much by listening in during their field trips.

I've found NO arrowheads, tho my neighbor has.

Phil

That is neat Phil.. Here's a picture of another grind hole site in CA...
Miwok Indian Grinding Holes Used To Grindiing Acorns For Soup, In The Largest Grinding Hole Site In The Us Stock Photo 52524955 : Shutterstock

 

[schoolsout]

Cool stuff, ya'll

 

[jimmyj]

I love stuff like this. I would dearly love to do some artifact hunting on the old family farm one day, particularly where the outhouses were. The farm has indian stuff all along the river and our family has been there since the 1700's.

There was a mill and we know right where the original house was too so I bet there'd be neat stuff.

 

[Redbug]

Irwin...How deep is that well? How old is it? Who made it? And where was their dwelling? Don't you wonder about such things?

And Phil...That's unbelievable! I have read about such places and you have one! Who were the Indians, how long ago? They lived nearby, that's for sure, and probably used your place seasonally. Just what were they crushing?

Dan, Jimmy and Farmer...You guys have a lot of buried stuff and you don't even know it. There's a lot of unknown history...you need to talk to the neighboring old timers to learn more. Boy...if I were a kid in your families...

 

[jimmyj]

I said it in a post once before but I wish I had a time machine to go see things in their original time. I am not so interested in the future oddly, but imagine the wilderness, fish and game a few hundred years ago.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Almost forgot about this find..it isn't something that can be held in your hand. This well was covered by many ancient boards and a bunch of rocks..

That's a nice looking well. The original settler cabin site should be somewhere near, if it wasn't built right over the well. It would be interesting to look for the cabin foundations, and possibly the trash midden. A metal detector might yield interesting results too. My mother found a $5 gold piece near the site of an old livery corral on my parent's farm.

 

[brin]

I read a news story sometime back that said much of the worlds once discovered gold is lost...either buried in back yards and such or lost at sea...I too, have always had this fantasy as I am bush hogging at the farm that I will hear a clink and look down to see a buried chest and it will be full of gold cons....Hey a guy can dream right ? LOL

I would encourage all of you to look around , use a metal detector and see what you can find..we have found chard's of Indian pottery on our farm and a arrow head or two..but we keep looking for that pot o gold.

 

[Phils]

That is neat Phil.. Here's a picture of another grind hole site in CA...
Miwok Indian Grinding Holes Used To Grinding Acorns For Soup, In The Largest Grinding Hole Site In The Us Stock Photo 52524955 : Shutterstock

I've looked at that site online Irwin. It's only a few hours away and I've not visited yet but hope to.

I love stuff like this. I would dearly love to do some artifact hunting on the old family farm one day, particularly where the outhouses were. The farm has Indian stuff all along the river and our family has been there since the 1700's.

We also have old homestead but I haven't yet located the outhouse locations. Back in the fifties, there was a heavy equipment maintenance building erected on that part when the RR and Hwy were relocated before the old routes were flooded by the Oroville Dam. Any metal detector work is difficult because you can't go 4 inches without a hit... old seals, gears, parts etc. that were just hurled by the mechanics.

And Phil...That's unbelievable! I have read about such places and you have one! Who were the Indians, how long ago? They lived nearby, that's for sure, and probably used your place seasonally. Just what were they crushing?

They were the Maidu tribe and according to the archeology professors were there about a thousand years ago.

Most of these holes were purposely buried, we think by squatters during the depression. Dating the trash they left indicated late twenties for the can patents. ("Bury them dang Indian holes before one of us breaks a leg in 'em after we've had a few!")

The parcel was also a gold mine in the late 1800's and although there are scars and remnants of the hydraulic mining, they didn't destroy these grindholes. A power easement got bulldozed about 10 feet from these holes but didn't disturb them either (as far as I can tell).

They ground acorns, of which we have an abundance. Part of the process is washing the tannins out of the mush, and some of the holes are "sequential", meaning that water poured in one will trickle into the next, then the next, etc. I've surmised that to be part of the process.

Just wish I could find some arrowheads.... maybe I need a better metal detector?

Phil

 

[irwin]

Irwin...How deep is that well? How old is it? Who made it? And where was their dwelling? Don't you wonder about such things?..

It's about 15 feet deep.. but I suspect it was originally deeper, just filled in by a few feet of sediment. Not sure of the age.

Someday I'll do some exploring when the water table is at it's lowest. Got too many projects to do anything til I get caught up a little bit.

There is an older well on the other side of the property but it's been completely filled in.. much older than this one... I'd rather spend my time artifact hunting than doing the necessary chores.. Someday..

I suspect the house I live in is on the original dweling site. This house has been here since 1850, sign of alterations are evident and recently it's mostly redone in all the places that matter for the health of the building.The remodelers did a good job. They left the old flavors but redid the foundation sill and most of the joists ( they left all the healthy massive beams).. and the second floor and all the roof, from truss, rafter, joists, etal... is only 15 years old.

I went to the town hall for info, (but there was a fire...remember in the movie Joe Kidd?) so I was only able to trace ownership back to the 1920's .. boy was I disappointed.. dang! Do I wonder about such things ?

If I wasn't so tied to my job (need the dough) I'd spend hours each week searching around here. My house was the only one for almost a square mile until the 20's.. I think the original owners had 60-80 acres.. (in this part of Ct that would be a lot.. not so much for you guys out in the midwest) I found an aerial picture of the area from 1935.. not much around, the woods looked very young in the pictures.. not young anymore, some big trees here now.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Irwin, the 1850 house is likely the second house on the property, and may be the third. The first house would have been a log cabin that the settlers put up for shelter. I would have lasted no more than 30 years before the logs rotted away, but 20 years is more likely. In your area, call it 1720-1740 or 1750. It was likely near the older well. A second house might have been built of milled lumber and perhaps lasted 100 years. If you are in an area that was not settled until 1800 or 1810, the log cabin may have been the only other house.