Copper Spear Point Found

[Fingerlakes119]

I have not posted much lately but this find seemed worthy. I was metal detecting and found this copper spear point. It looks to be an actual native american artifact. I found it near one of the finger lakes in upstate NY. Anyone have any info on these?

Thanks Fingerlakes119

 

[Icewing]

Do a search for "Native American copper trade points"

Awesome find.

 

[yaxthri]

Congrats on the find and banner! Nice patina.

 

[Doc Arey]

Super cool!

 

[IMAUDIGGER]

I would not donate that item to a museum.
They may or may not display it. It might get displayed for a short amount of time, then be moved to the basement and put into storage. Possibly sold.

It it were mine, I’d consider loaning it for display.

 

[Lanny in AB]

Truly a sweet find!

All the best,

Lanny

 

[Clay Diggins]

In all likelihood once it is donated to a museum it will never see the light of day again. It will end up in a drawer or a box on a shelf in a back room.

Having worked with museums for many years I'd have to disagree with you. Certainly some pieces get lost in the catacombs but the vast majority of donations get sold into the commercial market to help raise money for museum expenses. That's how most museums survive - by selling valuable donations.

If you want to assure your find will be displayed make a restricted donation or loan the piece on the condition it be displayed to the public.

 

[powrsurg]

I learned something new today. I never knew Native Americans worked metal like this.

 

[Goldfinger450]

Hey Fingerlakes, if you look on youtube under arrowhead hunting you can pick up a lot of info, and maybe someone in your area to hunt with? Artifacts come much easier when you know how to hunt them. The video's have helped me a lot, I found my first polished stone, I'll call it a combo nutting and digging, add hide softener and metate, you would not believe where I found it.

 

[Toecutter]

I know they find them in upper Michigan once in a while, that is a nice one compared to others iv seen

 

[Bumpstick]

Looking mighty fine! I can spend all summer hunting for copper and miss every piece. From Wisconsin.

 

[A2coins]

Banner find for sure

 

[dognose]

The Central States Archaeological Societies journal often has columns on [FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, helvetica, sans-serif]native copper specimens. [/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, Arial, helvetica, sans-serif]there are collectors around the great lakes who specialize in collecting native cooper. I have read many columns in the journal about these collectors finds.

The annual Collinsville CSASI/GIRS show also has copper displayed.[/FONT]

 

[Backbacon]

Nice find man. It's Middle Archaic and what's known as a Whitney IE Typology from what I can remember off of the top of my head.

 

[gunsil]

There is another possibility here. The object in question also looks like a bronze age point from Europe or the Mideast. The metal needs to be tested to see if it is copper or bronze. Bronze would rule out NA. There are thousands and thousands of the bronze points from Europe and the Mideast found and sold all the time. My aunt brought me back five of them and a bag of hammered copper coins from a trip in the 1950s. I was only about 11 and lost all the points and many of the coins in a few years as children usually do. Somewhere around here there are five bronze age points, likely in the woods or school ball fields since I liked to carry one around in my pocket as a kid.

 

[Backbacon]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree in regards to this being from the Bronze Age or made of Bronze. The patina, worm tracks, the little glimpse of copper, ect, 4000 - 5000 years old IMO.

Reason being....

This was my first signal/dig with a detector.