Arrowhead - can anyone please tell me more about it?

staggart · Aug 13, 2007

Hi,

My son found an arrowhead here:http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.343811,-120.629277&spn=0.003672,0.003889&t=h&z=18&om=1

It seems to not be made out of obsidian like most I have ever seen from around here - seems more like slate but perhaps it is just worn so much? I have attached a picture.

Any and all help would be appreciated.

Scott

DANGLANGLEY · Aug 13, 2007

Very nice arrowhead. Is that light colored streak a fossil?...It could be a dark shale if it is I guess. How long is it? Thanks

DANGLANGLEY

Oh, and welcome to the forum

treasureguy · Aug 13, 2007

Hello, you have a cascade point here if under 5 inches long, it has nice deep flaking but not perfectly round on the end, early archaic 8000 to 4000 bp, before present, so it's old, it's hard to see by the pics, but i think your point is made of basalt a hard material to knap for the natives,

staggart · Aug 13, 2007

It's 2 3/4" long.

I am not sure what the brown streak is. I have no expertise so I don't know how to tell.

Thanks for the welcome.

Scott

Boobydoo · Aug 13, 2007

Definitely an oldie and looks like plow damaged to me.

Great find!

Smiles!
BDoo

COUNTRY GIRL · Aug 13, 2007

I'm drooling! I tried the link first (which I can't get to work) expecting junk when you mentiond slate. Thennnnn came back to an awesome find. What area was it found in? Is the material blacker than the picture shows? Size? Tell us more!

Brignack Killer · Aug 13, 2007

I think treasureguy might be right on the style. But its most likely a preform ( the last stage before the finished point). Its worth about $10. It does look just like the 40 lbs. of basalt I have in my backyard.

Daniel

garrettman64 · Aug 13, 2007

Nice find it looks like a great find what you have is a Knife a Ubased Knife . Trust me I know I have been a member of MasAka( Massachusetts Archaeological Society) for 10 years now I do Own one my self. If I can find my books, Ihave them somewhere here Then I can show you the exact pic.
many Thanks for listening form
Garrettman64

Frodov · Aug 13, 2007

While not being an expert by any means or stretch of the imagination I *can* tell you that the point you have found is NOT an "arrowhead". By definition an arrowhead would have to be rather small, MUCH smaller than your point, in order to function first as part of a projectile and second to be small enough to pierce the hide of any would be target (animal). While many points of similar size to yours might have been "hafted" or affixed to a shaft, they wouldn't be arrows. Possibly it could be a point for a spear, but more than likely what you have there is an early man's version of the utility knife. This point would probably have been carried around and used much in the same way that any modern day hunter would use a hunting knife or dare I say, Multi-tool, like a Leatherman or something. The sharpened edges (that really CAN be re sharpend by napping off a flake or two on the edges) would have been used for cutting up meat and scraping hides, cracking bones even! You've probably noticed that it fits nicely in your hand and has a sort of "balance" to it..it feels naturally comfortable in your grip. ??
Again, I'm no expert in paleoanthropology or archaeology but I have read a bit and done a little research of my own. Most arrowheads will be generally no bigger (longer) than your thumb, and mostly not as wide. Anything longer or wider than your thumb is more likely a spear point or a "knife". Sometimes "knives" were affixed to a wooden handle or even bone or antler. But that's getting sophisticated, and I'm getting away from your find. Your find is very cool indeed, but calling it an arrowhead is like calling sledge hammer a "tack hammer" <grin> You have there a wonderfully usefull tool and some ancient man (or woman) used it for a multitude of uses and for a very long time. It was a prized possesion I'm sure.

Happy Hunting

Frodov

p.s. Expert - noun: 1). person of great knowledge or profound insight into a particular field of study or subject. 2). a drip under pressure. YOU DECIDE! >grin<

staggart · Aug 13, 2007

My son found it within a few dozen feet from the center of http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=39.343811,-120.629277&spn=0.003672,0.003889&t=h&z=18&om=1

Normally the spot he found it at is underwater because of the reservoir but it is very low this year. I said flint in my original post but that's my ignorance - seems like the other suggestions of basalt make sense. The color in the picture is pretty close - kind of a dull, worn grey - not black.

My calling it an arrow point is again my ignorance - yes, it is medium size (2 3/4" long) and does fit well in your hand. Like others have said, I noticed that it does not have the indentations at the opposite end of the point that I have normally seen for attaching to an arrow shaft - this would imply as posters here have said that it might be a handtool.

If you are having troubles getting to the Google maps link showing the location, email me and I will email the location back. The location almost due W of Cisco Grove, CA at the edge of Spalding Lake.

Thanks for all the great feedback.

Oh, I asked my son to take it back and bury it in the forest nearby when he is ready - whether that's in 1 year or 70 years - when he figures out why I asked him to do that, then he understand and will do it on his own.

Scott

treasureguy · Aug 13, 2007

Hello Garrettman i see your a member of the Massachusetts arc society, , did you base your conclusion on the location found?, didn't know they had the point you mention in the area this was found, i do know they have cascade leaf points in this area , other variations of knifes but do to the shape and small size of this and location california/nevada area, i still think it's a leaf point, maybe i am wrong , check out ebay 330154222894 just found this after your post i am curious now myself , made of same material, about the same size, and probaly a few hundred miles of where this one was found here on tnet , this is one of the nicer condition cascades i have seen on ebay and selling for a good price, later Dusty

Rob66 · Aug 14, 2007

Was this picked up via metal detector.If so... it could be made from a meteorite.

savant365 · Aug 14, 2007

Very nice point. I found one in Missouri last year very similar but with more of a rounded nose. I was told it was made from burlington chert. I don't have any pics of it to post but I will soon I hope. The Anthropology professor at the college here told us it was about 4000 years old too. Its amazing to imagine something that old still in the same condition it was in when some one was actually using it that long ago. To me these finds are so much more valuable then a coin that some one was careless with. I have never tried to knapp one myself but I have seen it done and it doesn't look too easy to me. I still get it out and look at it and wonder about the person that made it, what they used it for and the circumstances as to why they lost it. HH Charlie

staggart · Aug 14, 2007

No, it was not a metal detector - he was picking up rocks for skipping into the lake and noticed this next to one he just picked up. I suppose I could try seeing if it is sensitive to a metal detector...

I looked at the ebay item referenced above and see there is a multitude of these items for sale. I see references to COAs, etc. I have seen a professional napper in OR working obsidian and cranking out 7" spear points in 30 minutes - obviously there is a plethora of bogus things available on ebay and elsewhere. How the heck does one find a person who is trustworthy to tell me more about the origin and date on this? Can a local university help me? I live near UC Davis and University CA Sacramento. My son has no interest in selling it but would like to know more about its age and the people who made it, hunted with it, etc.

Thanks again,

Scott

Rob66 · Aug 14, 2007

The fun part is research I found an arrowhead 2 years ago walkin down a trail, threw it in my box and forgot about it till now.I don't think that it is as old as yours.
Good luck.
RD

savant365 · Aug 14, 2007

My professor friend told me that when I find something like this that it is very important to document as much as you can. Date, exact location, and pictures of the place you found it if possible. Any thing you can think of to help pin down exactly where and when you found it. Like the fact that the reservoir was low at time or in the case of mine it was after a flood.

desertfox · Aug 14, 2007

Nice find, no matter what it turns out to be or how old it is! Your son did good!!!!! HH and keep 'em coming

Desertfox

SimonLakeSub · Aug 14, 2007

The stone artifact you found ,, if found here in the North East ( New York, New Jersey, Conn. ) Would be classified as a Knife.

Nice find ............ Regards Simon....

Abbey · Aug 14, 2007

Try posting this on the American Indian Artifacts page on this site (just keep scrolling down till you see it. There are a number of really knowledgable people who might be able to further educate/inform you of your find. It took me a while to 'get' that points/arrowheads are really much smaller than you'd think. But it makes perfect sense when you stop and think about it for a moment. Nice find! Now your boy will be keeping his eyes wide open, eh?
HH!