Bronze age axe?? UPDATE!

[ryaan21]

Hi all found this today about 100 yards from my house. It was a really good signal and i dug the hole and buried it twice out of frustration. My dad was close to me when i was digging and he kept giving me crap about giving up. So i dug down about 13-15 inches and up popped this. Im not sure how the pics will turn out but you should get the general idea. I live in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan which has an abundant copper area about 100 miles north of where i am. The axe head has a nice green patina and looks hand forged. Any ideas on a probable value or who i could take it to to get it dated?? Thanks for looking. HH.



Hey all. I managed to contact a really nice guy who is educated in this type of collecting/artifacts. He was really very helpful. He informed me that this item is indeed a copper "celt". Out of all the artifacts these ones are the most rare. It is between 5000-7000 years old and was used by native americans. The cool part is the site is less than a 2 minute walk from my house and there were several other signals almost identical to this one but i didnt dig them. Can ya guess where ill be on my next day off?? Thanks for reading. HH.

 

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[texan connection]

Re: Bronze age axe??

WOW!! post it in what is it

 

[bookfisher]

Re: Bronze age axe??

I think you should contact the University Of Michigan's archaeology dept and send them a picture.

 

[folkert]

Re: Bronze age axe??

Looks like an early bronze age flange axe head. Cool find!!!!

 

[MichiganJason]

Re: Bronze age axe??

bump it up

 

[MICHIGANJAY]

Re: Bronze age axe??

Congratulations on your find. Every Hunters dream! J.

 

[TreasureTales]

Congratulations on finding such a great piece of pre-history. Please post pix of whatever else you dig up at that site.

 

[Stormtrooper154]

5000-7000 years old, is that it

Very nice find!!!!! Did they give you an approx value of this find?

 

[alwayslookin]

NEXT day off?? My extended Vacation would have started the next day!! What a great personal and historical find.

Dave

 

[Colonial KirkPA]

Wow, that is older than stuff the dudes find in the UK! GREAT!

 

[thompy]

Ryaan any more info on the axe, any more finds at the park

 

[Baggins]

Well, if we are ruining so many spots, what's stopping them from buying detectors and going out just like we do? They need to stop complaining and maybe organize, or go on a group hunt and see how things really are...
baggins

 

[musclecar]

Funny thing,, this attitude problem people have. I agree 100% with you ryaan. They have no idea how far cooperation and gentle attitude will get them. Rude people are the real losers,,,, they definitely have no common sense.

IMO,,

MC

 

[history hunter]

That's a very nice find!! Nice picture too. When I was stationed in the U. P., I found two copper arrow points, there is definitely very old and interesting stuff there. WTG

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Its been valued @ about $1000. Not bad. The wife can never make fun of detecting again ha ha. I did however email a professor of archaeology and anthropology to find out anything she may have to add to the history and she was really quite rude. She demanded i tell her EXACTLY where i found it and told me metal detectorists ruin archaeological areas. I told her that i wont reveal the location as it might hold more. I was actually at one time seriously considering donating this item to a university for study and display as i was told it is rather rare. But now that i see what they are like it will be sold to fund another detector. Now for clarification i didnt ruin anything when i dug this. It was in a public area. I love how these people are to lazy or busy to find things then when someone else does all the work they expect to be given anything they ask for. Maybe i was stupid for emailing her but im just trying to gather a little info for when it goes up for sale.

Ok.. I'm going weight in.. at the risk of being flamed somewhat.. I disagree when this is the opinion they have over later sites... some in the Field seem to have the same opinion about ANYTHING in the ground.. Civil War sites... old house site etc.. I think the NPS should dig ALL the battle fields and put the relics out for display! I have had this conversation before and have had people say "They are sacred sites.".. they are sacred because men died... not because they dropped their two piece CS buckle!! Heck.. some of these battlefields were active farms for a hundred years after... so.. I think it is more import to get the relics out of the ground... and preserved before they rot away. Plus just think of the display they could have if they dug the battlefields! Heck, I'd be going to Gettysburg 10 times a year! Now.. when it comes to a site that is 5000 - 7000 years old.. I agree with them! Randomly digging an item out of the ground removes it from the context of the area. IF, and I am saying, IF, this is a Indian site not just a random dropping of an item.. then there is so much to learn from having it excavated by archaeologist. There is no excuse for being rude.. and you can bet she has ruined her changes of learning about the site because of it.. but, to me, the potential history of a site is more important then a uppity.. rude person. There could be many more artifacts at the site that we will never see.. stone.. pottery..etc.. and the only way they will come to light is by a sponsored dig. I guess.. to me.. there is a big difference between popping a few hundred 3 ringers out of the ground in some farmers field then possibilities of what could be found in a 5000 - 7000 year old Indian site. This is a lot like the argument of people who sell everything they find versus those of us who don't sell anything.. it is personal choice.. but why bother metal detecting.. why spend all that time out there.. just to sell everything. No offense to anyone.. just my personal opinion...

 

[Kas]

Sounds like she's jealous to me.

She spent Four years in college and hasn't found anything that good yet. LOL.

Tell her where it is, and see how bad they tear it up. They'll dig nice square holes about four feet by four feet. Then show her the hole you made and asked her who's ruining what.

B@tch

 

[thompy]

i have no problem with the archies, that is until they influence gov. to restrict our hobby, i wonder how many sites have been found by detectorists, that they had no knowledge of that led to a dig for them. i think we have a pretty good grip on modern history, but would like to know more on the copper culture and other Indians of the time

 

[re-tek]

great find on the axe head.

i work with an archie and she got all deffensive when i told her about a silver ring and broche i found in a 1920's estate. i was like.. sorry i found it, maybe i should put it back for the bulldozer whenever it comes around.

learned my lesson. walk qietly, carry big coil!

 

[JRich98150]

Well, if we are ruining so many spots, what's stopping them from buying detectors and going out just like we do? They need to stop complaining and maybe organize, or go on a group hunt and see how things really are...
baggins

Don't worry about them... Maybe it's us detector folks that really need to get organized and recognized.

 

[CRUSADER]

Its been valued @ about $1000. Not bad. The wife can never make fun of detecting again ha ha. I did however email a professor of archaeology and anthropology to find out anything she may have to add to the history and she was really quite rude. She demanded i tell her EXACTLY where i found it and told me metal detectorists ruin archaeological areas. I told her that i wont reveal the location as it might hold more. I was actually at one time seriously considering donating this item to a university for study and display as i was told it is rather rare. But now that i see what they are like it will be sold to fund another detector. Now for clarification i didnt ruin anything when i dug this. It was in a public area. I love how these people are to lazy or busy to find things then when someone else does all the work they expect to be given anything they ask for. Maybe i was stupid for emailing her but im just trying to gather a little info for when it goes up for sale.

Ok.. I'm going weight in.. at the risk of being flamed somewhat.. I disagree when this is the opinion they have over later sites... some in the Field seem to have the same opinion about ANYTHING in the ground.. Civil War sites... old house site etc.. I think the NPS should dig ALL the battle fields and put the relics out for display! I have had this conversation before and have had people say "They are sacred sites.".. they are sacred because men died... not because they dropped their two piece CS buckle!! Heck.. some of these battlefields were active farms for a hundred years after... so.. I think it is more import to get the relics out of the ground... and preserved before they rot away. Plus just think of the display they could have if they dug the battlefields! Heck, I'd be going to Gettysburg 10 times a year! Now.. when it comes to a site that is 5000 - 7000 years old.. I agree with them! Randomly digging an item out of the ground removes it from the context of the area. IF, and I am saying, IF, this is a Indian site not just a random dropping of an item.. then there is so much to learn from having it excavated by archaeologist. There is no excuse for being rude.. and you can bet she has ruined her changes of learning about the site because of it.. but, to me, the potential history of a site is more important then a uppity.. rude person. There could be many more artifacts at the site that we will never see.. stone.. pottery..etc.. and the only way they will come to light is by a sponsored dig. I guess.. to me.. there is a big difference between popping a few hundred 3 ringers out of the ground in some farmers field then possibilities of what could be found in a 5000 - 7000 year old Indian site. This is a lot like the argument of people who sell everything they find versus those of us who don't sell anything.. it is personal choice.. but why bother metal detecting.. why spend all that time out there.. just to sell everything. No offense to anyone.. just my personal opinion...

Totally agree, when I found my Bronze Age Axehead. I reported its exact location even though by Law I didn't have to & there was a possibility they would ban my from detecting the rest of the site. The context of this historic find should be properly recorded for future generations to learn from. Not just to fund a new detector. Archies are a funny bunch & they showed little interest in my site. So I am researching & recording it for all to see in the local Museum (already paid for a replica) & I will fund with the farmer a geophysical survey which I think may prove that my Burial Site is a one off in the UK. I will write a paper & embarrass the archies.