Well, I was hoping to be able to put this post in the Artifact
section, but since I didn't find anything I'm not sure where
to put it. (I'm sure y'all will have some suggestions on that, tho. )
Actually, this is an area I've been wanting to walk for some
time now, and after spending the day indoors Saturday
watching Hurricane Irene blow slowly by, I decided Sunday
morning would be a good time to check it out. It is the new
Hwy 401 By-Pass they are building around Rolesville, NC.

I didn't have high hopes for finding much along this stretch,
having checked the area out in the past and not finding
much, but I hate to pass up a chance of looking at some
fresh dirt! And I really hate it when I don't and then later,
after it's all covered with asphalt and buildings, wondering
what might have been there and wishing I did.
Anyway, I was looking for the two A's, Artifacts and Amethyst.

The walk began on the ridge across the creek that's at the
bottom of the ridge I'm standing on for this pic.



This new By-Pass cuts across the Rolesville Batholith.
A batholith is a Granite Pluton where the ground above the
dome has been eroded away and the granite is now visible
on the surface. Some will argue that the Rolesville Granite
Dome does not meet all the requirements to be considered
a Batholith, but I have always heard it called such and am
content to continue. The granite covers 5 or 6 counties
north and east of Wake County and surface outcrops are
common throughout this area.
This next pic is of a catch basin above the creek and then
a pic of the channel to the catch basin. In the second pic,
I hope you can see the solid rock under the earth that has
been recently washed into the channel.





Here's another pic of the rock at the surface. This is a
drainage "ditch" on the side of the road cut. The pile of
rock used to slow erosion is sitting on top of the bedrock
and the bedrock is exposed to the right and back around the
trees in this pic.



Here's a shot from behind those same trees.



There are several plants that are indigenous to the
Rolesville Batholith. Although they are not blooming at this
time, I think the moss may be unique to this area and I've
always thought it was pretty unique to see cactus growing
out of moss.









Back on top and still a ways to go.



Most of the artifact concentrations I have found in this area
have been close to the highway. It seems the natives used
the same overland route between the Neuse River and the
Little River, ten or so miles to the north of the Neuse, as we
do today. I have always called this a "no-mans-land".
There are many prehistoric sites along the Neuse River,
and then again along the Little River. The two being a fairly
easy one day walk from each other did not necessitate
having to stop and camp in between.
Here is a flat area near water that I thought might show
me something.



One thing the natives did not need to look far for was
hammerstones. Round rocks abound on these ancient
paleoscarps of the Atlantic Ocean, which are much more
noticeable from the Fall Line east into the Coastal Plain.
We are just a few miles west of that here, but the round
water-worn rocks are still easily found.



And I'm not the first to be here. A Flake!



Two More!



And that was it.
Oh well, Hunting ain't Finding, and just because you don't
find anything is no reason to spoil the walk.

Progress............



End of the road and a look back at where we've been.



Maybe we'll find something next time,
Joe

Thanks, Scott. It was a good walk.
Found only one area with quartz and they did look like
fissures complete with mica, but no crystals. We may want
to "spot-check-it" again sometime in the future.
Joe

Thanks Dennis, and yes, that area would be much more
fruitful to a Botanist and Herpitologist than what I was
looking for.

And just let me clarify that I did not think the cactus and
moss were indigenous to the Rolesville Granite exclusively, even tho it may have sounded that way the way I phrased it.
I wasn't actually sure about the moss. But I have heard of
some small flowering plants that grow from the moss that
may be exclusive to this area. Is that true?
I wouldn't be able to recognize them if I saw them but would
love to learn.

Funny Story: One year, quite a while ago, I was breaking in
my first ever digital camera,( a real cheapo), and caught
this area while it was in full bloom. It was a carpet of green
covered with yellow flowers. I went home and promptly
deleted all my pictures trying to download them.
It was really such a sight I vowed to get more pics of the
area in full bloom. So each Spring for several years after
that I would head out at different times to try and catch it
again. Well, it only took me a few years to figure out that
all those yellow flowers must be late summer bloomers!
And I still haven't done it!

Maybe we can break that new hip in next year!
Joe

Thanks Dennis.
I think it's the first one on your list that I have heard about.
I ran into a woman botanist out at Mitchell Mill some years
back and she was telling me about it. That's cool that
Mitchell Mill is the type site for the stuff. Be nice to find it
again sometime.
And I sure could make a play on words with that name
but will refrain for now.

Joe