Broke points..

jamey

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Feb 3, 2007
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i keep them and sometimes find the other half a few years later
 

rockheadhunter421

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Mar 25, 2014
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I'll keep thumbnail size flakes if the material is translucent or is of good quality. Broken points are good archaeological evidence to keep IMO. I think that some are broke intentionally or some could have been broken from use. Even the natural processes and modern land developments can play a role. I know people value those quality artifacts but if you think about how Native Americans used their tools, they probably didn't think about collectors like us picking them up 1000s of years later.
 

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intensecrasher

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I know people who restore them using fiberglass and or epoxy mixed with paint. I have been told that this type of repair is OK because the artifact is not physically altered as in re-chipped.
 

Neanderthal

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Rock Garden - broken points, ugly points, tools, manos, bowtie axes..and every now and then some decent ones sneak in there too.
 

jamey

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with your talent monster you can just make the other half.
 

rock

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I hang onto them but have never found the other half......ever. I do give them to kids in my neighborhood if they seem interested in the hobby. Kids dont see them as broken but see them as a piece of history.
 

creekhunter

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Rock Garden, bowls in the house, box in the garage, I keep them separated by site if I go back to the same site often you never know.
 

patiodadio

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Most of mine are broken :unhappysmiley:
 

yakker

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Broken points also have character... could be an impact break, could be due to cold weather, could be someone stepped on the dern thing... I keep them all. I always hold out hope that I might find the other part. They're in terra cotta flower pots in my dining room. But take into consideration too, that broken points of a certain age or design (or age and design) are-- or can be-- worth quite a chunk of change. A paleo broken point can be worth a lot- more than a crappy little worn out knife w/ no identifiable base. That said, in the beginning- when I first started out in this 'hobby' (chuckle, chuckle), I kept everything- first on the window-sill, then in a frame. It depends on the piece. If it has a really cool base, I'll keep it in a location frame. If not, I'll put it in a flower pot. Every now and then I go through my flower pots and find things I didn't understand when I found them. As you go, you tend to learn a bit, so... there's that.

I pick up flakes too, if they're pretty- and of a unique lithic. One day- probably now- I have enough to fill the top of a box- style coffee table. Nice w/ dim light shining from below- or some artistic endeavor. (but I should say-- as far as flakes go, opinions vary. I'm of the opinion that you should leave what you don't need. If you have enough 'evidence' for your own self, leave the rest, so someone else can see- and look for artifacts later, when you're dead and gone. Initially, my enthusiasm was such that I'd scour and clean out everything I found. Now, years later, I don't do that. I'll even leave perfectly good chuncker/choppers so the next generation has a hint, and continue the hunt (and research). Good question- thanks for posting! Yakker
 

Gold Maven

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Part of the fun of relic hunting is using your imagination, it's not too hard to imagine what the rest of the piece looked like. I keep them. Here are some pics of my broken ones, I ran out of plywood before I ran out of pieces.


100_0124.JPG 100_0119.JPG 100_0118.JPG 100_0121.JPG 100_0117.JPG 100_0116.JPG
 

rock

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I only keep the better looking ones like bases or tips if they are big pieces. You got a few G M
 

Red Earth

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Jul 29, 2013
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I keep all of mine, although I'd rather find whole pieces, the broken relics are the stepping stones to our great personal finds. They are all important to me. But I would also pass a few out if it ment sparking an interest.
For instance, I have been away on business for two weeks and yesterday my girlfriend sent me a few pics of broken relics that she went and dug up at one of my sites. They were the 2nd and 3rd artifacts that she had ever found. Granted she was bummed cause they were broken but still very excited.
I remember being very excited to find broken or full when I was younger, I believe it's important to hold onto that
 

curious kat

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...I keep them. I've read that Archaeologists find them more interesting than whole ones, as there's more info. in the broken ones. And if it's the "tip" part, where you found it maybe is where the animal was & out of camp. If it's the bottom part probably where you found it was in the camp. Said they would bring the "bottoms" back to rework. They also said that the "oddest" looking arrowheads where probably reworked by a later group who found them.....so the pieces are interesting & worth keeping! I read this stuff on a site called "Arrowheads top Myths & little know facts....sorry don't have the link. :(
 

pickaway

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Match them up...
 

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