Pottery shards from the creek bed

[flatfoot]

Found these pieces on a sand /gravel bar in a creek near Toccoa, maybe 2 miles from Old Tugaloo Town. The upper left is nearly worn smooth but the pattern is clear at an angle in good light.

 

[westcobbdog]

Looks like Cherokee pottery. Nice finds, wonder what the size of Tugaloo Town was?

 

[flatfoot]

There is a marker near the Georgia & South Carolina State line on HWY 123. It says it was occupied by the Cherokee from about 1450 to 1776. It doesn't estimate population but called it a "principal" Cherokee town. I hate the long droughts but when Lake Hartwell is down it is nice to prowl the lake bed. We have found pieces in there also.

 

[lagrangedave]

And all illegally.................

 

[The Longhunter]

And all illegally.................

It's not illegal to find them.

 

[flatfoot]

And all illegally.................

How can it be illegal? They were found on private property. What is the difference between pottery and arrow heads? However I do understand that it is illegal to remove anything from the Indian Mound that represents old Tugaloo Town.

 

[lagrangedave]

Anything below the high water mark on state waters is illegal.

 

[lagrangedave]

I don't agree with it either but it is the law.

 

[flatfoot]

Thanks, I wasn't aware of that. I can still search the creek where these were found.

 

[ghadarits]

I'm a law breaker and have been as long as I can rember

And all illegally.................

I agree with not being able to collect from a mound ceremonial or burial. I wouldn't want someone digging up my ancestors for collecting of their possessions either. That's just down right disrespectful as far as I'm concerned. It being illegal to pick up a point below the full pool line is a dumb law in my opinion. I guess I'll be a law breaker until I can't walk the shore when the water is down.

Cool finds by the way. I find a lot of artifacts along the Tugaloo when the water is down.

 

[Nicodemus]

Be particular, because the fines can be mighty high, in addition to jail time, and loss of a lot of things dear to you.

 

[ghadarits]

Nic, I've been on archeological digs with government people and they let me keep some of the partial and less impressive pieces we cataloged so I doubt they would want to bother with someone only surface collecting. Now someone digging up a mound should be prosecuted in my opinion.

 

[Fletch_W]

What about the patterns indicate they might be Cherokee?

 

[dawg2]

Nic, I've been on archeological digs with government people and they let me keep some of the partial and less impressive pieces we cataloged so I doubt they would want to bother with someone only surface collecting. Now someone digging up a mound should be prosecuted in my opinion.

You will be in for a rude surprise.

 

[ghadarits]

Thanks for the warning guys. Yes I know what can happen. If they were that interested in prosecuting surface collectors me and a whole lot of folks on the forum would be in court. If they were interested in catching people all they would have to do is go to any big lake in GA when the water was down on a weekend and bust the people setup on mounds sifting shovels full of dirt next to the sign that says "No Artifact Collecting" All the mounds on big lakes that I've seen exposed look like the moons surface with all the holes from people digging in them. The ones that are exposed all the time are even worse.

 

[redneck_billcollector]

Thanks for the warning guys. Yes I know what can happen. If they were that interested in prosecuting surface collectors me and a whole lot of folks on the forum would be in court. If they were interested in catching people all they would have to do is go to any big lake in GA when the water was down on a weekend and bust the people setup on mounds sifting shovels full of dirt next to the sign that says "No Artifact Collecting" All the mounds on big lakes that I've seen exposed look like the moons surface with all the holes from people digging in them. The ones that are exposed all the time are even worse.

Illegal to surface collect on State, Federal or County property, also illegal to collect on road right of ways. If I recall correctly, if you are on private property you have to have written permission to surface collect unless it is your immediate family's property. And yes they do prosecute, I have represented my share of people who were caught by the DNR for doing it. I am no expert, but I believe that pottery predates Cherokee pottery. Early on the Cherokees were using European pots made of copper.....Much easier to cook with and transport.

 

[95g atl]

Nice finds.
I found something similar to what you have on the top right of your pic on our hunting land in Warren Co.

 

[swampstalker24]

Illegal to surface collect on State, Federal or County property, also illegal to collect on road right of ways. If I recall correctly, if you are on private property you have to have written permission to surface collect unless it is your immediate family's property. And yes they do prosecute, I have represented my share of people who were caught by the DNR for doing it. I am no expert, but I believe that pottery predates Cherokee pottery. Early on the Cherokees were using European pots made of copper.....Much easier to cook with and transport.

There is an "arrowhead" exemption to the Archeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) that allows for the surface collection of "arrowheads" on some federal lands without penalty, unless they are found in a designated archeological site..... But I've heard different land management agencies (BLM, USFS, USCOE) have their own interpretations of this exemption that tend to complicate things..... Would this stop me from picking up an arrow head? Probably not, but I not going to go around bragging about where I found it at...

 

[Fletch_W]

Nobody is going to answer my question?

 

[shakey gizzard]

Nobody is going to answer my question?

Just cuz! Indigenous relics are usually left by indigenous peoples!