Found an arrowhead head with my metal detector. Also, minie ball with ramrod marks?

[MrMarsHill]

Hey everybody! I hope everyone's spring and summer have been productive! I've not been out much myself sadly, but finally made a trip to one of my favorite native american and civil war spots. Usually, I walk the creeks in the area looking for arrowheads and tools etc. And I metal detect for old coins, bullets etc. A very, very famous confederate "legion" was in control of the area most of the war, and its got an interesting history to say the least. Either way, its a killer spot. To make this shorter, I got a great bullet signal on my machine metal detecting a section of the original road that is still there and began to dig. I got about 6" into the "bank" of the old road and I saw this beautiful arrowhead! It made me go nuts thinking maybe the arrowhead was metal etc. But then I found this 3 ring, nose cast minie ball in the wall of the hole just above where the arrowhead was found. Not 6" apart. That was a first for me, finding an arrowhead while digging a metal detecting target, lol! Can't beat the twofer on that one though! Any info on this arrowhead or minie ball would be appreciated. The minie ball is definitely nose cast and appears to be a beautiful fired minie ball to my eyes. There is a mark around the tip of the bullet, and after researching ive learned this MIGHT be from ramming the bullet down a fouled and tight bore and the marks are from the extra force used to force the bullet down the barrel. Is this what I have here? Any opinions are welcome. This is my first minie ball with such a marking. Its so beautiful it looks dropped, but to my eyes I can see 3 or 4 smoothed grooves especially in the base of the bullet, which I do not currently have a picture of. I figure somebody more experienced can tell? Ill be back hunting here again , its one of my favorite spots and I'm the only guy allowed out here lol. Cant beat that! Hope everybody finds what they're looking for! Stay safe!

 

[Dug]

Very cool! I experienced a similar serendipity too. I was at a 1940s red brick house ruins out in the SC countryside. My experience has taught me not to discount house site time periods as they may have been built over older sites. On a dirt trail nearby I got a signal and started digging and came across what looked like a chip of a red brick. Digging down further I found a piece of a ladies' brass spur. As I was filling in my hole my eyes caught that red chip and I noticed that it was actually a "worked" piece of Chert. I'm guessing it is a scraper. So if anyone asks you can you find arrow heads with a metal detector the answer is yes, as long as there is a piece of metal in the same hole.

 

[cmthunder]

That’s a great double find.

 

[pepperj]

Nice recoveries, congrats.

It's always nice to get an extra while digging out a target-though I will say yours was top shelf.

 

[RabidCaveman]

I wonder if that bullet and the arrow head have anything to do with each other being found so close to each other. Maybe someone didn't like Indians ��...

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!! Congrats!!!

 

[Tony in SC]

Now that's the way to do it!!

 

[HunterMF]

Wow! lucky you! Great finds!

 

[Hunk-a-lead]

cool find and story, tyvm

 

[Trezurehunter]

Congrats on a couple of nice finds. That is a very nice looking point. Post it in the Native American Artifacts forum, and someone will ID it for you.

 

[against the wind]

I wonder if that bullet and the arrow head have anything to do with each other being found so close to each other. Maybe someone didn't like Indians ��...

I was thinking the same thing,, lol

 

[Hendo0601]

Awesome finds!!! I’ve never found any arrowheads even when intentionally look for them haha! I’m no bullet expert but I highly highly doubt that one was fired. It would have had to have been caught by a fluffy white cloud and then set down ever so gently to avoid even a scrape. The impact from the ground (if it didn’t hit anything) would be enough to flatten or scrape down the side where it hit the dirt. I would expect to see some damage somewhere if it were fired. I live in California so we don’t get to find those 3 ringers, that’s so cool!

 

[MrMarsHill]

The "famous legion" is spoke of in the OP was made up of over 400 Cherokee Indians along with white and other soldiers. I had wondered a similar thing. There was also an outpost her in the later 1800s between "indian territory" and the rest of the world I reckon. I know they had a small fort type outpost and patrolled the area. Id just have thought by that tike most native Americans would have probably switched to firearms and iron weapons... not to say plenty didn't hold onto their tried and true methods though. I think its VERY possible these 2 finds may have had something to do with eachother personally. Its more than possible.

 

[MrMarsHill]

Awesome finds!!! I’ve never found any arrowheads even when intentionally look for them haha! I’m no bullet expert but I highly highly doubt that one was fired. It would have had to have been caught by a fluffy white cloud and then set down ever so gently to avoid even a scrape. The impact from the ground (if it didn’t hit anything) would be enough to flatten or scrape down the side where it hit the dirt. I would expect to see some damage somewhere if it were fired. I live in California so we don’t get to find those 3 ringers, that’s so cool!

Id have agreed but a post by the cannonball guy led me to believe different. Would you think this is a carved mark? Mold mark? I do a lot of bullet casting and can't imagine anything other than a damaged mold that would cause marked like this around the tip of the projectile. I have several fired specimens that are MORE misshapen than this one, but still very beautiful. Maybe this is a carved bullet and arrowhead a soldier carried and DROPPED? Cool possibility too! Ill most likely never know exactly the story of this bullet or arrowhead or how they ended up so close together... but its more fun than anything to speculate lol! Happy hunting out there! I've always wanted to head your direction one day and do some treasure hunting personally. Maybe we could trade spots for a few hunts on vacation sometime, lol.

 

[MrMarsHill]

Very cool! I experienced a similar serendipity too. I was at a 1940s red brick house ruins out in the SC countryside. My experience has taught me not to discount house site time periods as they may have been built over older sites. On a dirt trail nearby I got a signal and started digging and came across what looked like a chip of a red brick. Digging down further I found a piece of a ladies' brass spur. As I was filling in my hole my eyes caught that red chip and I noticed that it was actually a "worked" piece of Chert. I'm guessing it is a scraper. So if anyone asks you can you find arrow heads with a metal detector the answer is yes, as long as there is a piece of metal in the same hole.
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Killer finds and story yourself there! I'm in the club I reckon atleast lol!