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DUCK RIVER CACHE
46 ARTIFACTS
HUMPHREYS COUNTY, TENNESSEE
FRANK H. McCLUNG MUSEUM
COLLECTIONS
(THE UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE)
RETURN TO PAGE 2
This drawing is taken from Seever's 1897 description of the Duck
River cache and illustrates all 46 of the flaked stone artifacts. In
the late 1800's the cache was described as the "greatest
single archaeological find ever made in the United States." The
"swords" were described as "----the finest examples of flint
chipping that have been discovered in North America and, possibly in
the world." Even today they stand alone as a testimony to the
ability of the flintknapper's skill that made them. The longest
"sword" in the center measures 28 inches (71.1 cm) long.
One observation concerning the different shapes that make up
the cache is that several of them are represented in pairs. Some of
these pairs are 1 & 2, 3 & 38, 4 & 11, 5 & 41, 6 & 42, 8 & 44, 9 &
47, 10 & 46, 35 & 45, 39 & 40, 12 & 14, 13 & 15, 18 & 19 and 20 &
21.
One thing that is curious
about this cache is the state of preservation of the artifacts. None
of them are broken and yet they were discovered during cultivation
and recovered by people untrained in the scientific technique of
excavation. It might be logical to assume that other damaged
examples may have been found and discarded.
DRAWING FROM 1897 "THE ANTIQUARIAN"
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