Arrow head????

[RockHunters]

Hello All,
Found this while looking for agates. This was found in the desert close to Barstow. There are early man sites located not too far away. Thanks in advance for any help you an offer.

 

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[stefen]

don't appear to be worked...

 

[RockHunters]

Thanks much

 

[unclemac]

...but where you are at should be finding something, where you looking?

 

[monsterrack]

It looks like debri from knapping to me. There have been some flakes taken off but it's not worked down to a tool or anything. Welcome to T-net

 

[OWK]

It looks like debri from knapping to me. There have been some flakes taken off but it's not worked down to a tool or anything. Welcome to T-net

I would agree. It appears to be a core from which flakes have been struck.

 

[unclemac]

when I look at the size of it I have to agree....was it found in the middle of nowhere or could it have been used and left in place (as opposed to just dropped).

 

[rock]

Tough pics to tell for sure. It looks worked rather rough but almost like a tool. How many inches is it not meters? And how thick is it? There is a slight depression on one side that is shaped like in this ( which might be a spokeshave for scraping. I would keep it myself.

 

[RockHunters]

Thanks for all the opinions. It was found in the middle of an agate field. A mile or so from an early man site

 

[RockHunters]

Hopefully these new pictures will help. Thanks again

 

[quito]

Looks worked to me

 

[unclemac]

...dam straight it does...and more than just a core too. Maybe and unfinished piece? Those agate fields were great spots for native peoples to find good lithic material...you are in a good place...now think like they did and find a place where they would have been able to sit a spell and work on things...a place with a fair view of what was going on around them. Think of it like this...a lot of times when you sit down with a project to work on you do it in front of the TV (at least I do), not really watching the TV but aware of it...cuts up the monotony of just sitting and working.

 

[ghp95134]

That's a nice find! Wish I found something as nice.

I was assigned to Ft. Irwin from 1983~86; for those who don't know, Irwin is about 35 miles north-east of Barstow... in the desert (its northern boundary is on Death Valley's southern border). Irwin has some early-man sites within its boundary. I was taken to one site that overlooked a valley, and the major (my supervisor) pointed out a "stool" of stone, around which were hundreds of flakes. He posited that an early hunter sat there making points while looking over the (then) green valley watching for game. Amongst the flakes I found my scraper:

Another of my friends found a very nice-sized point, but turned it over to the post archealogist.

--Guy

 

[Whiplash00]

I can't believe the answers people give. Yes, the first picture is a jasper arrowhead, has clearly been flaked. The second photo is a blade or broken arrowhead, both show signs of pressure flaking as well.

 

[Charl]

Actually, people have given very good answers based on their considerable experience, and based on the photos. While it does show flakes removed, it is not at all obvious that it is a jasper arrowhead. In fact, that does not really seem to be the case at all, unless it was a work in progress. It does appear to at least be artifactual in nature, but a finished arrowhead does not seem likely.....

For instance, looking at the one "notch" in the corner, that is breakage. It is not a notch created by the knapping process. The piece does show it was worked. Could be unfinished, could be debitage. But the general shape does not, in and of itself, demonstrate that it is a finished point.
IMHO......

 

[RockHunters]

Big thanks to everyone for their opinions. Agree that at best it is an unfinished piece. We are excited to get back out there and keep looking

 

[quito]

I can't believe the answers people give. Yes, the first picture is a jasper arrowhead, has clearly been flaked. The second photo is a blade or broken arrowhead, both show signs of pressure flaking as well.

Yes, Whiplash00, some of the answers are pretty amazing....... some people don't look hard enough at the pictures or know enough to give good ones.

How big would the bow and arrow shaft need to be to launch 4 inch jasper arrowheads effectively and accurately?

Oh, I forgot to mention, the second photo is another angle of the piece pictured in the first one, it's not another artifact.

SO? which is it, a 4 inch arrowhead, a blade, or broken point?

 

[unclemac]

i like 4 inch arrowhead...from a massive bow to hunt dinosaurs

 

[Whiplash00]

Oh, my fault. Given that it's almost 4 inches.... In picture #3, from left to right you see an incline on the top portion of the blade which my guess is that it was attached to a stick. So, possibly halved. Being as thin as it gets towards the end I wouldn't think it would be a hand axe which was my second guess, as there were stronger materials available for hand axe use. I believe you have found a spear point, but again dude.... Photos make everything look incredibly different.

 

[Whiplash00]

My wife and I bought a house last July way out in the country on 4 acres, built in 2006. My elevation is substantially higher than everywhere around me for miles and miles. I live on a plateau about 1000 yards long and 300 yards wide. After 2 months of living here I started to notice things.....