Concept

All artifacts were found, with few exceptions, within about 10 miles of Howard County. The Big Spring and Moss Spring were  ancient attractions that beckoned the earliest of peoples to this oasis at the edge of the Llano Estacado.

Indentification of the artifacts gives a general idea of the regions from which Indians and others traveled.

Over 50 different artifacts are identified.

Collectors from the area brought their finds to three different ‘roundups’ where the artifacts were photographed and documented.
 

Personnel

Richard Rose of Midland (a specialist in paleo artifacts) 

Mark Collier of Big Spring (expert in identification and making of projectile points)

Doyle Phillips of Big Spring (editor and designer)
 

Comments

Many of these artifacts surpass fine craftsmanship. Some of their materials, colors, skills and designs combine to express a personal and cultural aesthetic. Like the famous cave paintings of Europe some of the artifacts are works of art.

During the course of producing this book I have heard of thousands more artifacts from the region being thrown away, sold away and given away. At least we have saved a few for the historical record.

Funding for this book, like all my others, came from a civic-minded couple who know that the product may never pay back their investment but nevertheless believe in its historical necessity.

Miscellaneous

One of the objects seldom found here is clay pottery. Rough, nomadic traveling would not have been good for anything fragile made of clay. Their vessels were made of replaceable gourds or animal parts, as described by Cabeza de Vaca and others.

The Llano Estacado, far from being an uninhabited desert, was fairly well know to European-type people. (Coronado with his expedition of 1,800 souls came to the region in 1545.)
 

The Old Buried Cannon

I’m fascinated with the possible history of this cannon, which is described in the book. There are more possibilities of its ‘sources’ than I had ever believed before beginning the research. Not included in the book ‘cause I just found it the other night is an 1829 survey by an interesting character from Santa Fé named Le Grand; his crew might have carried such a cannon.

Physical

8.5” x 11” 
2 color cover 
high quality, “cream” paper 
printed in one color: black
72 pages
57 pages of Indian and paleo artifacts 
(representing only a small percentage of all the artifacts cataloged)
 9 pages about the “cannon mystery”

(Since the closing deadline many more collections have come to my notice; the book could have been 114 pages if I had the money.)
 

Price: $22 includes postage 
Please state that you found the book on the Dirt Bros website.

From: FotoGrafica  Box 1441   Big Spring, Texas 79721 
Email: prairie_dog@crcom.net