Can you guys take a look at this?

[-=METAL=-]

Hello everyone,

I found this at an old Native American camp site back in the summer time and never figured out what it was. Yesterday I posted it in the "What is it?" forum, and I was told it could be a sheet brass or copper arrowhead. Is there anyone here that could put in their two cents?

 

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[sageimac]

This is an interesting post, and I just want to chime in with my two cents. The previous owner of our house had a new roof installed a few years ago, complete with copper flashing. Recently I went through the yard with a metal detector and retrieved a handful of triangular copper flashing cuts that look exactly like what is pictured, complete with the slightly curved edge. After being in the dirt for a few years, they achieved the same patina, exactly as pictured with some of the copper still showing. I would think an older artifact would have a complete patina with no copper showing. Apparently, when roofers cut an angled bend in the copper flashing, it's a arrowhead-shaped curved cut, not just straight cuts, and they just toss the scrap piece into the yard. I know that this find is nowhere near a house with copper flashing on the roof, but the objects look EXACTLY the same. I wish I would have saved them for a picture, but I just threw them out.

 

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[authorann]

Wish I could help

Hello everyone,

I found this at an old Native American camp site back in the summer time and never figured out what it was. Yesterday I posted it in the "What is it?" forum, and I was told it could be a sheet brass or copper arrowhead. Is there anyone here that could put in their two cents?
View attachment 1121159 View attachment 1121160

I'll ask my brother, John, a treasure hunter from Alaska who travels to Arizona and Texas regions every so often. He's the "inspiration" for my John Victor thrillers. "Buried Alive" was published last year. Deals with a train ride/treasure hunt called the "Gem Express" and hero John being buried alive in the Sonora Desert, by a nutcase who rigged his coffin digitally to a radio station in the Tucson area. You can check it out at annrichduncan.com.

 

[Rocsteddie]

Copper Point

Hey Rocsteddie, I appreciate the reply. I passed that info on to my thread in the "What is it?" forum and I received the following response. Please don't take this as me trying to argue or undermine your opinion as I do not think of this as proof that I have a metal point. I just thought I should post it here to see what you think:

"The technology for reworking copper remained fairly simple during the first half of the seventeenth century. Sheet metal was reduced to the desired size by either scoring and folding or by cutting. The increased availability of iron knives and, by the second quarter of the century, scissors, made this a fairly easy process." - James W. Bradley, "Evolution of the Onondaga Iroquois: Accommodating Change, 1500-1655."



I have a feeling that you're aware of this though. Are the cuts too small or precise to be made by something available in that time period? The site where this was found would have been occupied by natives up until the early 18th century. I'm basically just trying to get all the information I can.

EDIT: I didn't see that this had already been posted, I tried to delete it. Sorry guys.

Metal IMO the copper point that you have there may not be an arrowhead at all but the broken tip of a copper knife. The shape and the lower part that looks to have been broken looks more knife than arrowhead shape to me. As far as the cuts go I will agree that it was possibly done with a pair of scissors from that time period. Its to bad that this turned into a battle of wills. Good luck and I hope you can determine exactly what you have found.

 

[-=METAL=-]

Thank you guys for the added posts. Any additional info is much appreciated. I was considering bringing it to the Robbins Museum (local museum here), but someone like Charl has loads of experience in this area and I'm not so sure anyone at the museum is going to be able to tell me anything that he can't. Rather just save on gas. :P

 

[wyattearp]

Sorry to say but what you have is more than likely just a scrap piece of copper. It has been cut with metal shears ...... I dabble in copper art and this looks to be a scrap piece, I have a couple of Folgers Plastic containers full of copper scrap similar to this.

 

[lookindown]

I handle a lot of sheet copper down here. Enough for me to be inquisitive anyway.
Yes I know nothing about the Northeast copper artifacts

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Hey Gator, what type of site do you find that sheet copper? I know nothing about them but I found some pieces just like the ones in your pics years ago...I found a stone point not too far from the copper and a 1800 fort was once only about a quarter mile away. Whats the story on sheet copper?

 

[Davers]

Great thread Guys..
I've learned A-lot.

It's safe to say all the Sheet Copper/ Brass I have dug through the years around here , N Ga, is just scraps .
That said I try to keep any "Suspect" pieces.
"Esp since the Copper & brass Scrap prices are Down."
Davers

 

[RGINN]

Lots of info on this thread. I don't know much about NE culture, but where I'm from copper was a status symbol and wouldn't be used for an everyday point. Through trade they had copper at Spiro but doesn't appear they used it for points. Plenty of lithic material available and copper was too soft anyway. My rascal cousins on the southern plains did use barrel hoops and wagon rims to make iron points that worked pretty good.

 

[-=METAL=-]

The thread that just won't quit. Boy, I wasn't aware of what I was starting.

 

[-=METAL=-]

Lots of info on this thread. I don't know much about NE culture, but where I'm from copper was a status symbol and wouldn't be used for an everyday point. Through trade they had copper at Spiro but doesn't appear they used it for points. Plenty of lithic material available and copper was too soft anyway. My rascal cousins on the southern plains did use barrel hoops and wagon rims to make iron points that worked pretty good.

Hey RGINN, thanks for posting. Since Charl is no longer able to post here, I'd like to relay some information he sent me for the greater good of the thread so that future readers have as much accurate information as possible:

95+ % of metal points from here are brass, not copper at all. All the points I showed in that thread are brass. And, since brass is stronger then copper, just one more reason why the points are not too thin. -Charl

I don't think there are many people on this forum who have as much experience with North Eastern Native American artifacts as Charl does. The information he provides on the subject holds quite a bit of water.

Not to say what I originally posted is Native American, in all likelihood, it isn't, but it's very important that the information given here is based on solid knowledge rather than speculation.

 

[GatorBoy]

I dug up something interesting two days ago... Oh and lookingdown those pieces are sheathing from shipwrecks.. Later 1700's into 1800's

 

[rock]

Wow that is huge Gator. I don't know much on metal points but that thing to me would be hard to miss.

 

[-=METAL=-]

Interesting find Gator

 

[GatorBoy]

Best of luck out there everyone