Walker 'Stone Tools' Weren't Made By Humans, State Archaeologist Says

Materials found on a hill above Walker, Minn., were not clearly stone tools dating back 13,000 to 14,000 years, the state archaeologist has concluded. Several experienced archaeologists have concluded that "the great majority of the collection was produced by natural processes," State Archaeologist Scott Anfinson said. "There were a few 'maybe' flakes [of stone], and there were clearly no stone tools of obvious human manufacture or use."

Nor is it likely that people lived in the "very uninviting environment" of the Late Glacial age in northern Minnesota, Anfinson said in an eight-page paper dated Feb. 20 and released today.

However, archaeologists involved in the find say they haven't changed their minds that there's enough at the site to protect it and look at the possibilities of human habitation.

"None of the artifacts are what we would call a museum piece, I suppose," said David Mather, the state's archaeologist for the National Register of Historic Places.

At one meeting of archaeologists, Mather said, "the majority of people I talked to felt there were some genuine artifacts or something they did not feel comfortable dismissing."

I used to live near the N. Cal & S. Or coasts, and would wade out at low tide to large rocks, and cast into the kelp beds. Lost a lot of tackle that way, until I was taught the sparkplug trick. Take a lunch & plenty to drink, so you can fish the incoming tide, and wait for the next low tide to leave.

Have to make certain the rocks are safe at high tide, and study your tide tables. On the slack & outgoing, you can fish from the seaward side or the flanks; on the incoming, stick to the shoreward side to avoid sneakers while you have less rock to protect you.

Close the sparkplug gap completely, and then attach to the end of your line with a snapswivel. Unlike the usual leader, use line as heavy as your spooled line. Start rigging your hooks a couple of feet above that in the normal manner. The whole rig ends up being about 6 or 7 feet long, so you need a long rod to cast it, and a bait that stay on the hooks...squid or mussles work good, as do a lot of the shelled stuff growing on & attached to, the rocks.

When (not if LOL) the plug (if the ocean is rough or the the plugs are small ones you may need two) get hung up on the bottom, then either the snap opens, or the bendable electrode opens the gap. Either way you're freed, and all you lost was a used sparkplug.

My favorite spot was S. Or, where a wide, flat ridge ran out about 100 yards to a rock about 30' high. The ridge formed a firm causeway that was mainly knee deep at low tide, so you could see where you were stepping.
Not deep enough for bottom fish, but mainly sea trout, cabazone,and the occasional 'sea bass' were pretty plentiful, among others.

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