How rare are fluted points?

[joshuaream]

I was thinking about fluted points, how many of you have found one or even a piece of one? (My thinking is that they aren't nearly as rare as we think they are.)

I voted first, I've got a bunch of bases and a couple of complete examples.

 

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[mickey]

i have never found one in 20 years of walking northern ohio fields, but i know 2 guys that have found one. my friend tim found one when he was digging a ditch. he threw it out with the dirt and fortunately his ears were trained to the sound of flint hitting the ground.

 

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[Cachefind09]

I have been hunting for 31 years and have found 2 broken fluted bases, an exhausted and broken clovis and a nice paleo knife. Although paleo pieces are rare, dovetails seem to be even harder to find in my area. Interestingly, all the paleo pieces I've found came from a site on a large hill.

 

[Tnmountains]

I have been hunting for 31 years and have found 2 broken fluted bases, an exhausted and broken clovis and a nice paleo knife. Although paleo pieces are rare, dovetails seem to be even harder to find in my area. Interestingly, all the paleo pieces I've found came from a site on a large hill.

Welcome to T-Net Cachefind09. I think hills were a common anomaly for paleo. They knew high water could wipe out generations.

 

[Tnmountains]

I'll vote for a buddy of mine, link below was used without permission but I don't think he'll mind. His dedication paid off!
http://s138.photobucket.com/albums/q271/Attica1979/?action=view&current=MOVIE0016.flv

ahhh
The link is gone now but that made banner a month ago It was banner worthy no doubt. I do not think the poster thought it would make banner like it did,,,

 

[creekwalker]

They are quite rare, I promise you. As someone who has walked hundreds of miles in the creeks, spent hundreds of hours digging over the last 11 years, I believe I would know. I know only handful of people in my region that have found even a broken one. The very first artifact that I found in a creek was a clovis with the tip impact-fractured off. It would be over 10 years of heavy hunting before the next piece was found. That happened to be a broken unfluted cumberland found by my brother and now in my collection. Four months later I found a super heartbreaker clovis (2010). That's it folks. If you find even a broken piece these days, you are extremely fortunate. By the way, that first clovis was stolen from me in 2003. If I ever meet up with that guy.....My take? RARE!!!! Trust me.

 

[mootsman]

IMHO I think they are actually much more rare than folks typically think. Several of the big players in the paleo archie world think that 50% or more of the high-end Clovis points in private collections and a large percentage of those in museums are fake. The latest RC dating puts the Clovis period at only a few hundred years. With small nomadic bands and all of North America it would be hard to imagine that they are not incredibly rare.

FWIW, I've hunted off and on for 50 years and have found one broken base and one mid section. My wife in 25 years of hunting found one -- but it was the Holy Grail.

 

[lostlake88]

IMHO I think they are actually much more rare than folks typically think. Several of the big players in the paleo archie world think that 50% or more of the high-end Clovis points in private collections and a large percentage of those in museums are fake. The latest RC dating puts the Clovis period at only a few hundred years. With small nomadic bands and all of North America it would be hard to imagine that they are not incredibly rare.

FWIW, I've hunted off and on for 50 years and have found one broken base and one mid section. My wife in 25 years of hunting found one -- but it was the Holy Grail.

I have read the same thing. I think famous clovis guru archy Vance Haynes mentioned that upwards of 50% paleoindian spear points in collections are modernly made. It is mentioned in Adovasio's book on Meadowcroft shelter if I can remember correctly. I don't know what to think of it, but I have seen a whole lot of 4-5 inch perfect whoppers out there. Go to a local show and they are all over the place. Every serious collector seems to have one or two of these and that adds up to a whole lot of bags of money found in those fields. Haynes mentioned that every paleoindian camp site he has discovered upwards of 95% of the tools where broken and rarely a clovis found over 3" in length.

 

[Road Dog]

I've found 2 and half Clovis. They are all 2 1/2" or so. Not the monsters you see in some collections. I do know guite a few hunters around the area that have found them. One who hunts Halifax County found a 3" Crystal Clovis. I don't include the Hardaway in the fluted type though tough to find as well.

 

[Th3rty7]

IMHO I think they are actually much more rare than folks typically think. Several of the big players in the paleo archie world think that 50% or more of the high-end Clovis points in private collections and a large percentage of those in museums are fake. The latest RC dating puts the Clovis period at only a few hundred years. With small nomadic bands and all of North America it would be hard to imagine that they are not incredibly rare.

FWIW, I've hunted off and on for 50 years and have found one broken base and one mid section. My wife in 25 years of hunting found one -- but it was the Holy Grail.

I think 50% is unfortunately too low of a percentage. I happen to agree with this guy.

http://www.jimmausartifacts.com/avoid-buying-fake/

 

[arrowman]

I have only found five total including broken ones in 30 years. Two mostly whole ones and three bases. Found both the whole ones the same day. I should of bought a lottery ticket that day. I would guess that at least 75% of all the clovis points in collections and museums are fake.

 

[lostlake88]

The Worlds rarest clovis

 

[bsit1361]

!1! Not much but I got 1 hardaway with a small flute.