Tag: Folsom culture

The Fortune Cookie Folsoms

Kenny Resser, Topeka Kansas

Complete Folsom projectile point made of gray Permian chert, displaying classic Paleoindian fluting and fine pressure flaking, photographed on a black background.

Figure 1: A complete Folsom point made from Permian chert and measuring 1½ inches in length.

I have been collecting Indian artifacts for close to twenty years now. In that time, I have found some great artifacts. I have built up a good sized collection and started to attend artifact shows in Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. At these shows, other collectors have shared what they had found and told their hunting stories.

I have always been really interested in the artifacts of the Paleo Indian, and have found a good number of them in my years of hunting. This includes just about every Paleo point type in the Central States Region. But there was one point type that I could never seem to find, the Folsom point. Every time I went hunting for artifacts the Folsom point was on my mind. I knew it was only a matter of time before I finally found one.

The weekend was getting close, and I had plans to go to a spot that had produced some nice artifacts for me in the past. I was really looking forward to getting out there to see what was waiting for me. That Friday at work, a few of us decided to order some Chinese food for lunch. After eating, I broke open my fortune cookie and the message said “A pleasant surprise is waiting for you.” With the weekend hunt on my mind, the first thing I thought of was “I sure hope the surprise is a Folsom point!” So I put the fortune message in my wallet and went on about my day.

The next morning I was already hard at it as the sun came up, wondering what “pleasant surprise” was waiting for me. I had been hunting for about two hours with not much luck, but I had planned on making it an all-day hunt. That’s when something caught my eye lying flat on the rocks. Thinking it was just another flake, I bent down to take a closer look. I couldn’t believe what was laying there in front of me, for it was a complete Folsom point. (Figure 1.) I had no idea what to do with myself and almost forgot how to use my camera because I was in shock. As soon as I took a picture of this beautiful Folsom laying there, I sat down beside it (not even picking it up yet), and just started crying because I was so happy to have finally, after 20 years of hunting, found the Holy Grail! It was 1½ inches long and made of Permian chert. Needless to say, my day was cut short, as now I was unable to focus. Plus I was nervous about having the Folsom on me and trying not to break it.

One night, about two years later, I was again eating Chinese food, this time with the family. While everyone was talking, I was thinking about and looking forward to my hunt the next day. After eating, I broke open my fortune cookie and it was almost like a flashback! The message again said the same exact same thing as my other fortune, right before I found my first Folsom! Jokingly, I read it out loud to the family and said the last time I received a fortune like this I found a Folsom point. point on the left measures 2 inches in length.

The next day got an early Start hunting and planned on being out all day. I was at it for about six or seven hours, and did manage to find a pretty nice point, I was happy, but the day was still not over yet, so I kept looking.

I came across an area that looked like it had some pretty good potential. I hunted it for about ten minutes when I caught a glimpse of a flint flake sticking out of the ground. I pulled it out, and when I opened my hand to look at it, I couldn’t believe it. I had another Folsom! (Figure 2, left)

Two incomplete Folsom projectile points displayed on a black background. The point on the left is made of dark gray Permian chert and is missing the tip, while the smaller point on the right is made of tan-banded Permian chert with an intact blade and broken base.

Figure 2: Two incomplete Folsom points found by the author. The point on the left measures 2 inches in length.

Again, I was in shock! This one was two inches long, made of Permian chert, and had an impact fracture on the tip. I had two Folsom points in my collection.

Knowing how fortunate I was to have found two Folsom points in my lifetime, I knew it might be a long time before I again found such a rare point. But I didn’t know that “long time coming” would be only two weeks later! I found a third Folsom point! (Figure 2, right)

This one was the tip of a super nice Folsom made of Smoky Hill Jasper. It measured 1½ inches and had very fine edge work.

I am thankful to have found three Folsom points, and if I ever get another fortune cookie message that says, “There is a pleasant surprise waiting for me,” you had better believe the next day I’ll be searching for that next Folsom point!

Black-and-white line drawings of two Folsom projectile points shown from multiple views, illustrating differences in flute length and width on each side of the Paleoindian points.

Figure 3: Author illustrated drawings of two of the Folsom points mentioned in the article. The point on the left is shown in Figure 1. The point on the right is the left-hand Folsom point shown in Figure 2. Notice the difference in the length and width of the flutes on each side of both points.

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A Folsom Site in Eastern Colorado

by Tom C. Westfall, Sterling, Colorado

April 2015 Central States Archaeological Journal

Folsom site artifact assemblage from Kiowa County Colorado showing Folsom point fragments preforms Clovis Goshen and Midland projectile points on display
Entire lithic assemblage from the Kiowa County Folsom site in eastern Colorado, including Folsom point fragments, preforms, and tools made from multiple Plains lithic materials.

The 1950’s were a time of mild winters, little precipitation, and hard winds in eastern Colorado. During that time, literally hundreds of thousands of prehistoric artifacts were recovered by a number of collectors. Many of these collectors have since passed on, and much of the information that accompanied the stones they assembled has been lost as well. This report is written to provide as much information as possible about a Folsom site in Kiowa County, Colorado, near the town of Brandon on the south side of the Big Sandy River. This assemblage was collected by Jerry Chubbuck, a well-known artifact enthusiast over a period of several years in the early 1950’s. The eroded field was put back into the soil conservation bank and no additional artifacts were recovered on the site.

A total of 60 point fragments and preforms were found on this small site. A multi-component site, several cultures are represented, including: Clovis (n=8); Goshen (n=6); Midland (n=3); and Folsom (n=43). In the Folsom component there are 11 pieces which appear to be preforms which were broken in manufacturing, a channel flake that was utilized as a bi-pointed graver, a scraper and 30 Folsom point fragments.

Lithic materials would suggest that the people who inhabited this campsite came from the south (or had well-developed trade) as Alibates dolomite (n=16) and Edwards Plateau chert (n=28) dominate the assemblage. Additional materials include quartz crystal (n=2), Narbona Pass chert (n=2), Tecovas jasper (n=1), Trout Creek jasper (n=3), Black Forest wood (n=5), Flattop chalcedony (n=1) and Smoky Hills jasper (n=2).

According to Jerry Chubbuck, this site was on the south side of the Big Sandy River and was a discrete campsite that contained only the material shown here. Other sites nearby included later components, but the “Folsom site” as Jerry called it, was a relatively small area, not much more than three acres. (Chubbuck, personal correspondence, 2000-2014).

Reworked Folsom point bases showing straight edge retouch from broken Folsom projectile points eastern Colorado Paleoindian tools
Two images showing the distinctive straight-edge reworking along the distal break of several Folsom point bases, suggesting reuse of broken points for specialized tools.

One of the most interesting features of this assemblage is the Folsom fragments (proximal portions/bases). Each of these pieces has been reworked along the distal break in a straight line, suggesting that these pieces were used subsequent to their initial break for some specialized purpose. Although Folsom “scrapers” made from salvaged points have been found in Folsom campsites, these pieces really don’t appear to be used in that manner. A number of “Plains archaeologists” have been consulted and as of this writing, no one has been able to identify this particular tool nor have similar tools shown up in other assemblages.

Another interesting piece in this assemblage is a salvaged channel flake. This channel flake is 27.1 mm in length, 3.5 mm in width and .051 mm thick. It has been flaked into a bi-pointed tool of some type, most likely a graver.

Alibates chert channel flake modified into a bi pointed graver Paleoindian lithic tool from Colorado Folsom site
Channel flake of Alibates chert worked into a bi-pointed graver tool.

It is highly likely that additional Folsom material exists on the Kiowa County Folsom site.

References

Chubbuck, Jerry
2000–2014 Personal correspondence.

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