Denisovan Ancestry in East Eurasian and Native American Populations

19 July 2012

Ronda Eldridge "just seeing things" makes find in Central Texas which compares favorably with Missouri and Maine sculptures also identified as bird forms

Ronda Eldridge find, Central Texas.

Ronda Eldridge is an avocational archaeologist and artifact collector in Central Texas. She discovered a cluster of bird forms and bird head figures in a 15 x 15 ft. section of her property, and a continuing over-abundance of zooanthropomorphic figures which defy natural attribution. Ronda will kindly be sharing photos of her finds and has more on the way because the figures are becoming so numerous now that she is able to identify them.

Stacy Dodd And Rod Weber find, 23JP1222, Missouri


Ronda wrote an excellent description of her experience, which is similarly shared by untold numbers of amateurs and avocationalists each year:

"Hi Kenneth,

My name is Ronda Eldridge and I live in central Texas.  I just finished looking over your blog and found it very interesting.  I live in an fascinating little place in "the middle of nowhere" as folks here like to say.  The property on which I live has a creek adjacent to it and there is a lot of evidence that indians lived here.  I have had fun during the last five years collecting up points, blades, etc. and recently bought some books and began doing research to help identify my artifacts.  One evening while I was out walking around, I came across a rock that looked like a bird's head.  Then another, and another.  All of these were in one area and some of them appeared to have paint on them.  There were other animal shapes and some human-looking ones as well but the amount that looked like bird heads was overwhelming. I got online and began searching for information to help me identify what I was finding and I found very little.  So, I contacted the archeology professor at the university where I teach music and he really wasn't much help.  The exchange was via email and I think he believed I was claiming to see bird bones in the rock material itself.  After that I posted some examples on a site called arrowheadology.com and I was told I was seeing things.  My husband thinks I am seeing things also.  I don't believe I am seeing things.I have found rocks that have either: natural bird shapes; natural bird shapes with "details" scratched, chipped, or painted into them; rocks that have been slightly modified to look like bird shapes; and rocks that have been outright worked to look like bird shapes.  Since this discovery, I went back into my pile of knife-type tools that I couldn't fit into one of the categories in my books and I discovered some of the bird-type figures and modifications.  

So, everyone I've talked with so far (especially my family) thinks I am crazy.  My thinking is that this land has been held/lived on by white settlers since 1850 (our homesite was a trading post and then general store/post office).  NOBODY has ever looked at this specific place (of which I am aware) for artifacts other than arrowheads.  Just the amount of rough tools (such as nutting stones, metates, etc.) indicate that this area was heavily populated....as does the creek with the beautiful tall ridge behind it.  I have found relatively few points in comparison to the amounts of tools, etc. but those points fit several ages with the oldest that I can tell being a perfect Golindrina point.  

I've attached in power point format some pictures with notes about what I believe I may be seeing. 

I could really use some advice. Am I just seeing things?

I appreciate your time.  
--Ronda Eldridge"

-kbj

2 comments:

  1. You ain't crazy but it goes to show how hard it is to see what's not assumed even when it's clearly in front of them. that's what's crazy.so your the one with talent so ask your self the questions not the closed minded

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  2. Thank you Ken and all for bringing some attention to my finds and for validating my experiences.
    --Ronda Eldridge

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