Can someone help identify anything about this...

[jamillusions]

Help. I found this what appears to be a quartz or some type of projectile while searching for sea glass at the beach down the street from me. I was wondering if anyone can help identify it. I have looked online and only thing I could find was that quartz arrowheads are rare. I found it off the Magothy River, right around the corner from where the Magothy River meets the Chesapeake Bay. It is also right near Gibson Island, MD....which I know Indians would come to seasonally for hunting and such. I had also read that the Paleos and the Archaic Indians inhibited the area, but as far as QUARTZ arrowheads I was unable to come up with any information. So ANY info that anyone could give me about it would be awesome. Would love to find out more about it.

Thank you! :


http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamillusions/3698036149/
It is a beautiful little gem!!!

 

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[GL]

That is an awesome little point!
http://www.projectilepoints.net/ProjectilePointSearch.html

 

[uniface]

NICE one !!!!!!!!

I lived for a while where the Sassafrass River empties into the Chesapeake, and can tell you that quartz was ALL those folks had to work with. In the spring, on cultivated land, you could spot sites from a quarter mile away by the white color of the artifacts against the background of the soil. Collecting half a bucket full in an hour was not difficult -- many of them pretty large. (Sites were from the Terminal Archaic era).

Problem was, as far as attractiveness went, after you'd collected a hundred of them, you still didn't have anything.

 

[Th3rty7]

The tapered shoulders, expanding stem, and location suggest Halifax imo. If so it's middle to late Archaic, 6000-3000 BC. Nice find that's a sweet little point in good condition. I've found a few flint, and quartzite examples but your right the crystal quartz points are hard to come by. Good to see some more eastern examples on TN, looking foward to seeing more of your finds.

http://www.projectilepoints.net/Pages/Searches/Points/Halifax.html

 

[jamillusions]

Thank you very much! So quartz has no significant meaning? So how far would you date it back?

Thanks
J

 

[jamillusions]

Thank Thirty...you answered my date questions! wow...

 

[uniface]

So quartz has no significant meaning?

Its significance is that's what they used because that's what they had available to use.

Super crystal quartz like yours may have been chosen for its beauty and specialness. Ditto pure blue-white milky quartz.

But rough vein quartz was the bottom of the lithic barrel.

 

[jamillusions]

Thanks ~

I had asked about the significance of the quartz because I had read somewhere that quartz was used ceremonially...as opposed to hunting... Just curious.

 

[GL]

Penns Creek?
http://www.projectilepoints.net/Pages/Searches/Points/Penns Creek Bifurcated.html

I figure they used what was handy and if the tool ended up especially beautiful or impressive it was saved, worn or given as a gift or tribute.

 

[joshuaream]

Thanks ~

I had asked about the significance of the quartz because I had read somewhere that quartz was used ceremonially...as opposed to hunting... Just curious.

I think that depends on where you are... In Kentucky the use of crystal quartz is very rare, but in your area flint was rare and quartz was common. That said, it's the condition of your point that makes it special. Quartz will make a sharp edge, but it's hard to do something that nice with it. I've seen a lot of collections from that area that didn't have a point that nice. Congratulations.

 

[uniface]

Trouble is, the earlier Archaic stuff has pretty fluid boundaries and "pure" examples that aren't partly something else also are hard to find.

Case in point below. Going by outline, a Penn's Creek. Even made of Penn's Creek Chert. But in actuality (IMHO) a northern Pinetree. With both shoulders burin-flaked off (a la Decatur).

(PS : distinct basal thinning like this and the one you showed a couple days ago are about par for the course with these).

 

[pynchinflint]

That is a nice point there Jam. Here are a couple of the quartz points that I have found. The one in the middle is similar to yours. Good job.

 

[jamillusions]

Thank you all very much...my first finding of something rare (to me) on the beach, other than some lavender colored sea glass....so I am super curious about it!!! It is pretty, I am very much into stones and crystals...and this point has a few lovely fractures in it that creates a beautiful rainbow inside of it when the light hits it just right. Thanks again for all of your input!

GRATEFULLY appreciated!

 

[pynchinflint]

Jam,

Got your message and thank you. These 3 were found in west central GA. As far as what types they are I usually leave that up to the experts here. They are great folks.

 

[jamillusions]

Can someone point me in the direction of an expert in the Maryland area?? Thanks.

 

[pynchinflint]

As previously stated, I am no expert by any means at naming point types. With that said...I'll throw another name in the ring. Could it be a Rappahannock River ....5000-4000 BP?

 

[jamillusions]

Thank you flint...yes kinda looks like that as well...

As I have been looking at this all day I noticed that the underside (i guess...or top) is concave...just took these 2 really bad pics...don't know if that makes a difference

 

[*Molly*]

I'm no expert on typology however, I do know Eastern types. The first Quartz point is a 'Orient',a little worn but no doubt about it.
Late Archaic-Woodland.
It's not an Halifax, I have found lot's of this type, they are very slender points, with shallow notches, also what makes Halifax's recognisable is the one shoulder is typically higher than the other..

Nice find, It's always a pleasure to find Quartz points. Congrats Jam.

Molly.

 

[Tnmountains]

I am at the bottom of the lithic barrel looking out with my quartz points. That is very pretty to be sure.
Thank you and welcome to artifacts.

TnMountains

 

[Th3rty7]

I'm no expert on typology however, I do know Eastern types. The first Quartz point is a 'Orient',a little worn but no doubt about it.
Late Archaic-Woodland.
It's not an Halifax, I have found lot's of this type, they are very slender points, with shallow notches, also what makes Halifax's recognisable is the one shoulder is typically higher than the other..

Nice find, It's always a pleasure to find Quartz points. Congrats Jam.

Molly.

I disagree and still think it's a Halifax, the more commonly found resharpened size. It looks like one shoulder is higher than the other on that quartz point.( a vertical or horizontal pic of the profile would be easier to id ) Orient points have distinctive wide notches.

Here's an unsharpened large example of a Halifax, useful info in the description. Also two different Overstreet ID pages, note the form of the smaller examples.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/3517429