The only thing that I can think that would explain such a finding ... 
is somebody salvaging lead and/or powder from a large lot of old 
ammunition




>Interesting.  I found a few on a site in North Carolina that had 
>been punctured with a knife blade. I can't think of any obvious 
>explanation for your situation either!  I'd love to hear if you find 
>anything out though.
>
>Paul G. Avery, RPA
>Senior Archaeologist
>
>MACTEC Engineering and Consulting
>9725 Cogdill Road
>Knoxville, TN  37932
>Direct: (865) 218-1069
>Main: (865) 588-8544, Ext. 1169
>Fax: (865) 588-8026
>
>________________________________
>
>From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY on behalf of David Legare
>Sent: Thu 1/7/2010 3:45 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: cartridges
>
>
>
>I'm afraid that I don't have any photos.  Almost all of the hundreds 
>of cartridges in virtually every caliber were affected.  They were 
>all subjected to pressure that either put them out of round or 
>flattened them from about 2/3 of the way from the base to where the 
>bullet would have been seated.  There aren't any clear tool marks 
>that would make me say it was done with pliers.  A rock would have 
>done as easily.  There were two exceptions that were one 50 caliber 
>pistol cartridge and all of the very small (less than 1 cm long) 22 
>caliber cartridges.  We didn't see any in the rest of the cartridges 
>on the site that hadn't been treated like this.
>
>
>--- On Thu, 1/7/10, Smoke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
>>  From: Smoke <[log in to unmask]>
>>  Subject: Re: cartridges
>>  To: [log in to unmask]
>>  Date: Thursday, January 7, 2010, 1:12 PM
>>  Have a photo or two?
>>
>>  On Thu, Jan 7, 2010 at 1:52 PM, David Legare <[log in to unmask]>
>>  wrote:
>>  > I have a large number of cartridges at a historic mine
>>  site in southern New Mexico.  The primary occupation of the
>>  site is from around 1903 to 1911.  These cartridges are of
>>  a very wide variety of calibers.  they were all
>>  identifiable  30-30, 30-06, 44-70, 45, etc.  The question
>>  concerns their treatment.  Virtually every one of them was
>>  found crimped in almost exactly the same place on the
>>  cartidge.  Anyone have any idea what this behavior is?
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>  >
>>
>>
>>
>>  --
>>  Smoke Pfeiffer
>>
>>  In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one
>>  useless man is a
>>  shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a Congress.
>>  -- John
>>  Adams
>>
>>  Proud member of the Angry Mob!
>>
>
>
>


-- 

Mark C. Branstner, RPA
Historic Archaeologist

Illinois Transportation
Archaeological Research Program
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
209 Nuclear Physics Lab, MC-571
23 East Stadium Drive
Champaign, IL 61820

Phone: 217.244.0892
Fax: 217.244.7458
Cell: 517.927.4556
[log in to unmask]


"I hope there's pudding" - Luna Lovegood (HP5)

"If you only have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail"- Anonymous