Need tips for finding arrowheads at the Jersey Shore

[bootybay]

Ok folks, this is a whole new area for me.. I was recently given some absolutely beautiful arrowheads from Molly ( which I will post the pictures later to show you all) but my question is this, I live down the shore, Indians were all over down here, so how and where do I start to look for them? I am near the bay and very close to the ocean.. I checked on Utube just to see if there possibly was any info for me on hunting in NJ.. I found none.. so any help would be greatly appreciated to this newbie Indian artifacts wanna be collector.

Personal Note to Molly,
Molly, when your package arrived, I was just totally in awe looking at these arrowheads all 8 of them, but, when I started to take each one out of the package and held it in my hand, I was more dumbstruck, wondering how many thousands of years they may be, who sat for hours hand crafting this, what tribe? so many thoughts running thru my mind on these..
Thank you so very much for sending me such a wonderful care package. Now I wanna go trapsing thru the woods to see what I can find..I was even thinking of making myself a small shaker screen as well... anyways Molly, truly words cannot express how appreciative I am of these artifacts..

Thank you so very very much Molly..
and I will take a picture later today to ya all..

 

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[mistergee]

hello bootybay....i too wondered why all the summers i spent at the shore looking at the ground i never found anything primitive....after seeing some posts on here from those fort ancient sites...i believe i may have overlooked many i didnt recognize as being such....i remember plenty of conch shells that may have been hammers and i think awls....im in avalon and i used to roam the dunes and dream of indians and pirates...now the dunes are off limits...and im sure even though we are an island 1 mile offshore i know the indians had to be there...have been unable to find any past history that mentions anything that far back.. also was always curious about the large mounds you see in the salt marshes...some several stories high in the middle of nowhere....im thinking they may be some sort of dredge pile but not sure and like to think otherwise....okay i'll stop bending your ear and i hope someone comes up with something for you...i know it will be a great help to me also...good luck and molly ...that was very nice of you....

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Bootybay, do you have any areas that are plowed for cultivation near where you live? That would be your first choice to look for artifacts. If you can find some cultivated fields close to a good water source like a creek, river, or spring, get permission from the landowner(very important you do this), and then check out the highest ridges in the fields. Look for signs of flint chips, mussel shells, pottery fragments, bone fragments, and such and that will tell you if there was a site or village there.

If you start seeing any of these items then start looking really closely and walk back and forth across the field row by row and flip every piece you see. Once you get an eye as to what to look for you wouldn't actually have to flip out and check every piece, but until then it it best to flip every item you see out of the ground and inspect it closely for chipping or alterations by man. It is best to hit these fields right after a good rain. It might be Little muddy, but everything will still be wet and the flint Will shine making it easier to spot.

You can also try to go to the library and check out your local history to see if there were any Indian villages or sites in your area and check these out or try to find spots close to where they were to check out. Also, ask around to see if anyone else in your area collects and they might help you out a little.

Hope this helps you out and good luck.

 

[bootybay]

Both of you, thank you.. I will do some research as well, to see if I can find the approx areas as well, I do have work ahead of me doing this..but then again, it will be fun to do.. I most certainly will let you all know what I am doing and if I found out a tip or two.... I truly am looking forward to this and its all MOLLY'S fault.. shes opened up a whole new world for me..I am seeing things that need to be seen, need to be appreciated and need to be cherished as part of all our heritages..

Molly, I just cannot praise you enough.. thank you for opening my eyes to a new world.

 

[Jonnyreb]

Kudos to Molly. The world is a better place because of people like her aint it?
As far as finding stuff on the shore, or that area, Dorkfish nailed it really.
I do know of stuff turning up on beaches here in Texas and of course in Fla.
My advice on that too woul d be to look for an area where a stream or river empties into the sea. That would be a PRIME site for a village. Of course the problem is up your way, thats also the prime sites for modern towns and cities.
Wish I could help more, but when I was hangin out at Toms River? (Brook)? I wasnt lookin for stuff.
Good luck to you and keep us posted.
Shawn

 

[*Molly*]

Aww shucks I'm in trouble again..lol.

First of all Welcome to our world Rae aka Bootybay. I never meant to bring you over to the darkside from metal detectin' lol.
Well I did really, not enough women on this forum.

This sweet hobby of ours is so special to us, I thought you'd like it in your life, its thrilling,theraputic,educational, gets us hunters out in the freshair, not to mention addictive.

I gave you a few arrows to get you started That's how it all began for me.. You need to train your eyes, just like all new hunters need too. Look at your arrows,especially the Brewerton side notched, its made of Onondoga Flint ( the small grey arrow), feel them, look at the shapes,edges,notice the workmanship. This will help you when out there looking. Its all just a matter of tuning yourself to them..

Another good thing about Arrowhead hunting is you can still metal detect at the same time..I intend on getting my Garrett out, now it's getting cooler..

I wish I could give you a few tips on beach hunting but its not my forte, hopefully the guys who hunt for arrows there will help you.

I just know how you feel right at this moment, makes me smile, chuckle even, you is hooked gurl..

I have some more for you, I'll post them out for xmas..
Seems the more I give away, the more I find..

Let me know how things go hon, good luck, you'll do great, I just know it..

You are a very special lady, I'm very happy to call you my friend..

Molly.

 

[mistergee]

johnny...my in laws lived in Toms River...on Holmes ave near the yacht club....my wife used to hang there summers when she was younger

(Brook)?

do you mean Brick?

 

[mistergee]

by the way the area they lived in was called Money Island...supposedly , and i cant remember which, either Captain Kidd or Blackbeard buried some treasure near there....but then again what coastal town doesnt claim buried pirate treasure

 

[Jonnyreb]

My time there I was on "Liberty" TDY at Brooklyn NY. I was mostly drinkin and revelling in the attention of them giggley yankee gurls who kept wantin me to "say somethin' else" LOL
It was fun.

 

[Billco]

I'd certainly search plowed fields if any were nearby, but don't think they can't be found elsewhere. I've only been searching for a year, but find something almost everytime I look. Yet, I've never searched a plowed field. Lots of people think Alabama is mostly cotton fields, but where I live there isn't much farming. I search scraped areas near "old" water and keep my eyes on the ground everywhere else. Most of the skill involved is training the eye to spot out of place "rocks." Once you learn to spot lithic debris and find a few finished pieces, its easy - a lot easier than I would have thought.

 

[Ohio_Doug]

I agree with the others here Booty, train your eyes to the worked edges of those points. Once your eyes are trained you will be able to pick out a worked edge. Look anywhere dirt is being moved near a water source whether it be bulldozing or a plowed field. Good luck