🥇 BANNER Copper spearhead??

[tanz 82]

Found on a river bank in NE Massachusetts, southern newhampshire View attachment 1746942 possibly a trade spear head ? Anyone have an idea chime in thanks!!!

 

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[DocBeav]

Wow man! I hope so and not THIS!

 

[tanz 82]

Love this show

 

[smokeythecat]

I liked that show. Anyway, it sure looks like a copper culture spear head.

 

[MadTom]

Not an expert on copper culture, but I always assumed it was Great Lakes region. Could be trade. I would definitely bring that to someone who could Id it. University, museum. It’s really cool. When I first saw the size I was thinking some type of harpoon

 

[Jeff H]

Very interesting. How about a side view? It just looks a bit thin from the angles shown. But that's not to say it can't be either a trade piece or a copper culture piece. I have found both types here in MA. I think some more pics will help.

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[xcopperstax]

No expert but I would guess more likely copper culture native American made than trade. My friend found a copper axe head / celt in the New England area that was determined to be 3,000 or so years old. While it wasn't super common they did have them around here in Massachusetts. I mean it could be modern trash hopefully not though. If you take it to an archeologist sometimes they have a device that is kind of like an x-ray that they can beam onto it that calculates the age of the metal. Potentially a really cool find!

 

[Toecutter]

I think its modern the hole on the edge is oval shaped like made by a machine... we need more pics... I am no expert..

 

[Aureus]

From the condition of it looks more like a Copper culture spear head, but I'm no expert. I have found a harpoon head in Quebec so they did trade them between the different people occupying the surrounding regions. This site is great to ID them https://copperculture.homestead.com/

 

[alaskaseeker]

Nice find...

 

[Professor of Engineering]

Very interesting find!

 

[Plumbata]

Oh yeah, that's a great piece! Almost certainly not modern (or historic era), the oval hole doesn't bother me and while not typical of Copper Culture (OCC/Old Copper Complex) pieces which tend to be socketed it could just be a younger ancient point of an unusual style. As I understand, the copper trading networks weren't as wide during the OCC era so considering its location and style maybe it's closer to 2-3,000 years old versus 5-8,000 years old?

Regarding the oval perforation, it appears as though there was another matching hole on the other side, with the copper between it and the edge of the blade now lost. You'd have to pick the brains of those with expertise, but I own some early/middle Bronze Age arrowheads from the Mediterranean region with perforations through which sinews would be inserted and wrapped around the split end of the arrow shaft to secure it tightly. I believe that your spearhead may have been attached in the same manner; with the split end of the spear shaft bound to the point with sinews threaded through the holes and wrapped around the wood.

Here's a pic of a relevant perforated European bronze arrowhead and drawing of mounting method:

 

[tanz 82]

Oh yeah, that's a great piece! Almost certainly not modern (or historic era), the oval hole doesn't bother me and while not typical of Copper Culture (OCC/Old Copper Complex) pieces which tend to be socketed it could just be a younger ancient point of an unusual style. As I understand, the copper trading networks weren't as wide during the OCC era so considering its location and style maybe it's closer to 2-3,000 years old versus 5-8,000 years old?

Regarding the oval perforation, it appears as though there was another matching hole on the other side, with the copper between it and the edge of the blade now lost. You'd have to pick the brains of those with expertise, but I own some early/middle Bronze Age arrowheads from the Mediterranean region with perforations through which sinews would be inserted and wrapped around the split end of the arrow shaft to secure it tightly. I believe that your spearhead may have been attached in the same manner; with the split end of the spear shaft bound to the point with sinews threaded through the holes and wrapped around the wood.

Here's a pic of a relevant perforated European bronze arrowhead and drawing of mounting method:
View attachment 1747463 View attachment 1747464

Thank you for the information!!

 

[Plumbata]

No problem, but as others have asked could you post some more pictures? It doesn't look too thin to me but it's hard to tell so a side-view would be very helpful. Do you have a scale, and if so what does it weigh? The degree to which it has been attacked by chemicals in its environment suggests a great age but maybe it was just in a particularly corrosive location? A thin piece made from uniform sheet would suggest a young age but it looks like it has a narrow diamond cross-section which would be good news. And not that you're asking but assuming it's an ancient native-copper piece I'd bet on a value of 150+. It's a great find, my favorite type of metal-detected treasure to be found in North America.

 

[tanz 82]

so I brought it to a local historian who’s friend is an amateur Native American historian and the guy called me to advise me not to allow any expert or museum to take it out of my site because the spearhead one of only two ever found in the Merrimac valley region !! He said if it is real it’s newsworthy.

 

[tanz 82]

It was found in a coniferous Forrest on a river bank. Between the highest hill in my county where the natives would hold powwows and on the other side of the river is another large hill which was there burial site

 

[tanz 82]

Bump

 

[Jeff H]

Well Tanz, I was thinking it wasn't copper culture originally, but the side view has changed my opinion. I think you might have a good one there.

 

[Plumbata]

Thanks for the update and extra pictures, definitely looks like a copper culture blade to me! Did the historian acquaintance say anything about the mounting method? Looks like it had double oval holes to me but holding in hand is always best. Chances aren't great that far east but where you found one you may find others, hopefully you can find more ancient copper rarities!