Physiksgeek
Well-Known Member
...but I purchased a book 2 years ago at an artifact show called "Prehistoric Industry in Dover, Tennessee" that talks about the area and the history associated with several hamlet sites that mined and traded the famous Dover Flint. It was a proffessional dig done back in the late 60's early 70's. I graduated from Stewart County High School and have lived in or around the area for 20+ years. I have heard about the Brigham Quarries as it pertains to their Amer-Indian history but have not had the opportunity to go visit them. For those that may not know the stories were always about the massive midden piles and flint "walls" that were the by-product of the knapping and reduction of the large nodes of flint into tools such as hoes, points, celts, chisels etc for trade. The famous Duck River Cache is made from Dover Flint. I never had the proof to contradict these stories nor a reason to doubt them but to hear them told they just seemed too unbelievable to be true. I did not get to go to the Brigham Quarries but I did get to go to two other well documented sites and two that were not......and the stories I heard I now know are nothing but true. After visiting the Cross Creek Site and the Trawick Site....both of which are in the book I purchased, we found piles of flint that were knee high in depth and hundeds of yards long. It is absolutely amazing to see. My wife found the only two peices that were found but without digging it is a blessing that those were found. Nothing has been done in the fields for years other than cutting hay. The points were found near a pond that was dug recently.
The story of how we were invited to the sites is nothing short of luck too. After speaking with a gentleman over lunch he expressed interest in the book. I brought it to work several days after our conversation and left it with him. He came to me later and told me that he grew up less that a 1/4 mile form the Cross Creek Site and the Traywick Site and had actuall helped Mr. Traywick farm tobacco on the site. The Traywick site was sold to a german couple who later sold it to a musician friend of my co-worker. The Cross Creek Site is actually owned by a man who was my co-workers fathers running partner back in the day. He made a few calls, secured permission and Saturday we piled in the vehicles and spent the day amazed at what was there. It is almost inconceivable to think that with the tools available at the time these Amer-Indians were abe to harvest the tons of flint to produce the tons of midden still left there.
Sorry for the long post but I guess the moral of the story is seize the opportunity....here are some photos.
The story of how we were invited to the sites is nothing short of luck too. After speaking with a gentleman over lunch he expressed interest in the book. I brought it to work several days after our conversation and left it with him. He came to me later and told me that he grew up less that a 1/4 mile form the Cross Creek Site and the Traywick Site and had actuall helped Mr. Traywick farm tobacco on the site. The Traywick site was sold to a german couple who later sold it to a musician friend of my co-worker. The Cross Creek Site is actually owned by a man who was my co-workers fathers running partner back in the day. He made a few calls, secured permission and Saturday we piled in the vehicles and spent the day amazed at what was there. It is almost inconceivable to think that with the tools available at the time these Amer-Indians were abe to harvest the tons of flint to produce the tons of midden still left there.
Sorry for the long post but I guess the moral of the story is seize the opportunity....here are some photos.
