Rod Michel's Statement of Provenience Example

Mr. John Smith

123 Main Street

Anywhere, USA 

55555

11/21/2004

Subject: Statement of Provenience on Great Basin Humboldt Lance

Dear John,

RTGGB-73504) Early Humboldt transitional Paleo lanceolate from Mono County, California, x Ray Quintana found prior to 1950. Material is a banded gray and bluish black obsidian, most likely quarried in Nevada, this specimen is elite and may in fact be more related to earlier transitional Paleo types like Blackrock Concave or Clovis, except for the oblique parallel flaking indicative of the Humboldt culture. In terms of workmanship, the flaking is exceptionally fine pressure all over resulting in a lenticular cross section and parallel sides; the size of the piece is within the top 1% of all specimens of similar types. Patina of the obsidian is via wind blow sand with devitrification of the tectosilicates, plus there is abundant soil based mineralization that reprecipitated in various irregular spots on the blade, further one face shows very slightly more patination that the other as often is the case of an artifact found laying on one face. I believe this piece to date no less than 8000 years bp. This relic was found within the same general area as a large Buchanan Eared lanceolate with oblique parallel flaking, which would date slightly later than the Humboldt and has been further defined by the professional archaeological community.

It is BC & American Indian Artifacts policy to unconditionally guarantee for 30 days and lifetime warranty all artifacts that we sell with more time upon approval for independent evaluations or certificates of authenticity. On relics we purchase, it is also our policy to return those specimens where the seller will not provide provenience on any item we purchase or in our opinion is modern made or tampered with. Please visit our website at http://bcartifacts.50megs.com/WebsiteHOME.htm and we hope to develop a long-term friendship with you.

Take care now and thank you.

Rodney Michel

Po Box 51335

Midland, TX

79710-1335

406-490-1091

Floyd Hoyz Artifact Collection