European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - October 17, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 the stars and stripes Friday. October 17,1989 profile go s vast artefact collection tells stories of prehistoric past world today byjoe Mapother staff writer Berlin when he was growing up on a farm near Enterprise Ala. Charles cd. Ray believed his Grandfather s Slop hat he Teardrop shape rocks on the farm were thunderbolts formed when lightning struck ground and liquified the surrounding Rock. Now 25 years old and a self made repository of archaeological knowledge inc army sergeant knows differently to pretty much a recognized expert on Southeast pm . Material Ray said from behind a lining room table cluttered with artefacts he found or Pur chased a lot of people Send material to me and say,1 hey Charles Ray what do you think?1 " Ray started collecting his roughly 50,000 items about eight years ago since then he has hunted Arti facts in 25 or to states and in Europe. Ray has had several articles published in collectors journals. His collection was appraised at 130,000 in 1982, Ray said although he has taken College counts Ray is with out a diploma in a Field that traditionally has been dominated by Academia. It does t faze him. A Tot of America s archaeological finds of great importance were found by amateurs Rpy said As he licked off finds made by amateurs around the country. Charles Ray a unit Armer with co a 5th in Berli brigade Don a lot of thinking about the Urti facts in h is collection. Beyond their Beauty or function each of them was made by prehistoric people and each of them can Tell a Story to people like Ray fingering a Spear Point made in Minnesota More than 10,000 years ago Ray explained How the flaking of the paint fluting and Patina surface aging can be used to pry open the history behind the artefact. The Guy who made this made it with the intention of killing a woolly Mammoth or defending himself against a Taber toothed Tiger. You be got to respect someone like that Ray said in deference to the unknown Armer of some prehistoric unit Ray has made other discoveries. Yean of sifting through rocks bearing evidence that people have worked to shape them into implements has led Ray to conclude that the throwaway Era began Long before the invention of non returnable bottes. In bygone societies where fashioning a tool or weapon could take hundreds of hours Ray theorizes that Rock chips with Sharp edges were used for cutting jobs ind then discarded the evidence is in the form of formless rocks with manmade serrated cutting believes the edges were Cut from scrap Rock for a specific Job thai needed to be done before the Perma nent tool was ready. Use it once and throw it away just like a razor Blade he concluded. Ray keeps a Slack of reference books to help him identify artefacts and he spends $172 each year on archaeological journals. The articles he writes help de fray subscription costs he said. Ray s fascination with the past began during his final years at Ken Sion Ala High school when he became interested in arrowheads found in nearby Fields. You think of the Cowboy movies and those were the indians you thought Ray said of those Early Yean. But then i started gelling the literature and found out the majority of the projectile were us Ottea by Jot mind her array sgt. Charles . Ray. Displays some of his artefact thousands of years old i started finding out that there were a lot of people collecting artefacts and one thing i found out is that artefact collectors Are a lot worse than fishermen or Hunters about their favorite Ray has t changed his method of collecting since those Early Days. He travels to Back roads looking for Likely areas for prehistoric settlements near riven or on High ground spotting what appears to be a goo area Ray makes the rounds from door to door asking people if they have found or know people who have found artefacts in the area. The next step involves careful combing of freshly slowed Fields and other areas where people allow him to search for the past. A Sharp Eye and knowledge of what to look for Are the most important Toots for the artefact collector. Ray has been on several archaeological digs but he strongly cautions against digging by people who arc not prepared to scientifically Chart and log everything that conies out of the ground. Anybody who want to get started on i collection the first thing to do is Don t buy especially at Flea marked or gun shows. You be got to know what you re doing because people will sell you a fake in a heartbeat Ray said. Living in Berlin has put a Stop to Ray t attempts to whittle Down the time spent shopping with Bis wife Tracy so the collector could get Back to picking up the past. There Are few Sites of interest to someone who specializes in weapon Points from the paleozoic Era inthe american Southeast. But the City offers regular Fossil exhibits and Ray said he Baa found a Nice spot to Hunt for artefacts although he did t say where. Soviet mathematician to head science Academy Moscow a Gury Marduk and physicist who has headed the state committee on science and technology since 1980, was named thursday to replace 83-year-old Anatoly As president of the prestigious soviet Academy of sciences. The official news Agency Tass reported Marchuk 61, was proposed for the top Post by politburo Mem Ber Yegor k. Migachev Alexandrov who had held the Job since 1975, has been credited in the past with refusing to Sec Dos student physicist Andrei Sakharov expelled from the Academy. No reason was Given for his stepping Down from Hie Post but Migachev was quoted As saying the politburo expressed gratitude for his contribution to soviet science and praised his effective leadership of the Academy second wife of Picasso kills self police report Cannes France a Jacqueline Picasso the Tec Ond wife of the late Spanish Painter Pablo Picasso committed suicide wednesday morning at her Villa in Mou gins on the French Riviera police reported. Shewn 59. Police said mrs. Picasso was found with a Bullet in her head fired from a 7,65mm pistol at her notre tame de vie Villa. They noted she had been ill for several Yean outdid not indicate the nature of the illness. The French news Agency a ence France press quoted one of in Picasso s friends As saying the Painter s widow had been very depressed and had mid on monday that she preferred to end it her life a order to not stay Tike Picasso one of the 20th Century s greatest Bainun married Jacqueline Roque in 1961 when he was 79 Yean old and she was 35. The Painter died aprils i97x manufacturer in Italy kidnapped from office Reggio Emilia Italy a More precise judgment of the crop Wittop ombre next Spring when the Young wines ire tatted after resting during the Winter the committee mid. Senate ends delay confirms 18 ambassadors Washington a the Senate broke a Fig is live logjam wednesday As it confirmed the Nomi nations Oil 8 ambassadors to nations and diplomatic positions around the world including the first . Ambassador to the while minority government of South Africa. The action ended ambassadorial vacancies in such nations As Mexico South Korea the Vatican and Argentina and put a new official in charge of Theus. Battle against terrorism. Edward j. Perkins Veteran Diplomat who has been us. Ambassador to Liberia was confirmed by unanimous consent to succeed ambassador Herman Nickles in Pretoria South frit. He Wilt be the lint Black Diplomat to hold that Post and his selection u outgrowth of president reagan1 losing Effort to persuade the Senate not to impose economic sanctions against South Africa. A Paul Bremer 44, now the . Ambassador tothe Netherlands was confirmed 10 succeed Robert Oakley to be ambassador at Large for couple Terro that Job Bremer will take on the principal responsibility within the state department for battling terrorism t Job that includes responsibility for at tempting to win the Freedom of american hostages now held in Beirut Lebanon. Charles j. Pilliod jr., a former chief executive officer of the Goodyear tire & rubber co. Was confirmed to replace former Hollywood movie Star John Gavin in Mexico City and Frank Shakespeare presently the . Ambassador to Portugal and a former director of the us. Info nation Ajac Ofta confirmed As ambassador to the Vatican. Also confirmed were James r Lilley a retired career official of the Cia. To be . Baba Larlor to South Korea and Theodore a it Ydreo to be Anim Sador to Argentina. The confirmation delay which had lasted Tor seven months in some cases ended when the Senate resolved a controversy relating to democratic objections 1ft the nomination of Reagan administration official James Many democratic senators Taid they were unhappy about the Malone nomination which was first rejected by the foreign relation in Orniti of Loo approved when a Republican senator changed,.fait no vote to
