by G. Jack Urso
Erosion along
the Hannacroix Creek in Southern Albany County, NY, following the impact of
Hurricane Irene on the U.S. East Coast in 2012, uncovered a small trove of
pre-Columbian Paleo-Indian stone tools and artifacts. During the summers of
2013 and 2014, I undertook a series of excursions to a particular place along
the Hannacroix where these ancient relics were found.
While I found a
number of items, two are presented here for consideration: a hammerstone-like
formation and another item whose precise identification is unknown — though the
features are distinctly man-made. All the items I found were composed of
sedimentary rock. While harder rocks were preferred as source material when available,
there was a distinct lack of other rock types available in the areas I
searched. Further, various types of sedimentary rocks were used as source
material for tools, according to Understanding
Stone Tools and Archaeological Sites (2000), by Brian Patrick Kooyman of
the University of Calgary.
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| Fig. 1: Unfinished possible hammerstone or axe/club head. |
The first item,
fig. 1, appears to be an irregularly shaped cobblestone formation; however,
closer examination reveals sharply defined cut marks outlining the stone (fig.
2), which appears to be a matrix for a hammer stone or possibly a rudimentary
axe or club head. It is clearly incomplete, having been abandoned midway
through creation. Was it found to be flawed in some way? Was it a practice rock
for some young Stone Age apprentice learning his craft?
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| Fig. 2: Close-up of Fig. 1. |
Those who doubt the ability of
this type of sedimentary stone to cause damage are invited to experiment themselves.
Tests I conducted with similar rocks found at the site reveal them to have
acceptable tolerance levels for working with organic material and shale.
 |
| Fig. 3: Where the stone artifact in Fig. 1 was found. |
This part of New
York State was scoured by immense glaciers during the last Ice Age which ended
approximately 10,000 years ago. Glacial striations can create deep impressions
into rocks, so analyzing carved rocks requires a discerning eye. The rock
pictured in fig. 3 stood out immediately, which you can see in the accompanying
photo taken at the time of discovery. This oblong stone is approximately nine
inches long and features a shallow carved-out impression with perfectly rounded
ends (fig. 4).
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| Fig. 4: Scale comparison of the Fig. 1 artifact. |
The skeptic in
me immediately wondered if the items weren’t naturally made — perhaps being a
remnant of glacial striation or possibly having flaked off another rock during
erosion. Closer examination, however, revealed one edge to have three equally
spaced cut marks (fig. 5), perhaps revealing where the maker cut into the rock
to begin carving the impression. Further, the impression’s ends are too round, the
sides too straight, and too sharply defined for a natural formation.
 |
| Fig. 5: Close-up view of Fig. 1 artifact. |
My suspicion
that the item was of human origin was further confirmed when a friend forwarded
me an article from the University of Texas at Austin web page (Texasbeyondhistory.net) with a photo of a
Woodland Period artifact (500 B.C.E. – 800 C.E.) from the Jonas Short Mound
located on the Angelina River under the Sam Rayburn Reservoir in east Texas
(fig. 6). Apart from the different rock type, the similarity between the two
items is uncanny.
 |
| Fig. 6: Woodland Period artifact. |
What fascinates
me, and many others, about these items is that they were crafted, held, and
used by people not so different from myself. Humans long ago held them in their
hands as I do now. They stood where I stood and saw the same sunrise and sunset
over the same isolated, rural landscape, which has seen little change, even in
21st century New York State.
The persons who made these items are long dead and forgotten. The uniqueness of their individual lives is forever washed away by the tide of history and all that remain are these few stone tools. I wonder, centuries from now, what artifacts from my life will be left for someone to hold and wonder? Will my existence also be washed away and forgotten with the relentless tide of time?
I can only hope
that there will at least be someone who will wonder — very much the same as I
do now.
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