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		| The Business Trip with Archaic Bonuses
 | by Terry Bourret |  
	  | Central States Archaeological Societies 2025 October Journal | Hannibal, Missouri |  
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      | This excerpt from "The Business Trip with
            Archaic Bonuses" published
            in the 2025 Central States Archaeological Societies 2025
            October Journal  Read the complete column in the Central States
            Archaeological Societies 2025
            October Journal which can be purchased on-line after March 2026 |  
      |   |  
      |     he axe and the Nebo Hill point that were found
          in the same field near the town of Lincoln in Cass County, Illinois,
          1974. The author no longer retains ownership of the axe, The point
          measures
        4 ?" in length. |  As a former State Consultant for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Illinois,
    I traveled extensively throughout the state to visit programs for the Hearing
    Impaired. On one particular morning in 1974, I had a trip planned to visit
    the Quad City Area programs. I had been an avid amateur archaeologist for
    a couple decades, so I always had hunting boots and a shoulder bag ready
    in the event a potential camp site beckoned to me. You know the call! So, I set out for the Quad Cities driving north out of Jacksonville heading
    toward Virginia, Illinois. I was dressed professionally for anticipated meetings
    and did not expect to take a brief detour over a barbed wire fence. After
    passing through Virginia I spotted a field that I had passed before which
    had always been in pasture. This time, however, it had been freshly bulldozed
    and had a heavy rain on it a day or two before. Wow! A temptation I could
    not pass up! I knew my time was limited, therefore a quick once over was
    all the time I could spare searching for potential artifacts. I can just
    imagine the reaction of a few drive bys when they spotted me cautiously climbing
    over the barbed wire fence in a suit and tie. Crazy person! Before crossing
    the fence I searched around to see if there was a farm where I could find
    the owner to ask permission before walking on his land. There was none in
    sight, so I proceeded into the field. Just like many other avocational archae
    ologists, as soon as my boots hit the ground I used my natural optical radar
    surveillance
    sense to scan the panorama before me to look for telltale signs of campsites.
    Amazingly, the surface of the field was relatively clear of any broken rock,
    shell or chert flakes, other than for an odd shaped rock about 100 yards
    directly in front of me. I debated wasting time on examining it. But, as
    my former archaeology mentor, Cliff Grove, taught me early on, leave no
    stone unturned! I looked a second time and swore I detected a groove. Consequently,
    I sprinted (much younger then) to the suspicious rock and almost had a heart
    attack when I saw a huge Three-quarter groove Archaic period axe in perfect
    condition looking up at me. Not having a cell phone back then, I was unable
    to take an in situ photograph of my find. It took a few minutes for my heart
    to calm down as I pondered the ancient tool I had discovered. How big was
    the person who would have wielded such a large axe? It weighed over 5 pounds!
    Upon lifting the axe and examining it, I discovered heavy calcification (?)
    / mineral deposits on the under side. The axe was a light brown granite implement
    with good polish and no damage. I wondered if the axe could have been lying
    on the body of the person who had been carrying it. Over the years, I had
    been fortunate enough to find a number of complete grooved axes and celts,
    but my mentor, Cliff, having hunted atifacts for many years, had never
    found a ground hard stone implement. After the thrill of finding the...   Read other great columns in the Central States Archaeological Societies 2025
      October Journal which can be purchased on-line after March 2026            
 
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