Huge Obsidian Spearhead found in the City.

[bigcaddy64]

I was just handed this huge obsidian spearhead by a friend who found it on a project in downtown Los Angeles

Is there any way to attribute this to any particular group of native Americans? I have zero knowledge on the subject so if there is any way to tell, id like to know and tell him.

 

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[quito]

Hmmmm...I guess I've been schooled by an expert.

Schooled?

Think what you like. I thought I was just making a good valid point or two.

As per my post, I was sure you already knew some of this stuff.

Glad I could help.

 

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[T.C.]

Schooled?

Think what you like. I thought I was just making a good valid point or two.

As per my post, I was sure you already knew some of this stuff.

Glad I could help.

...just a bit of sarcasm after looking at your post #18

 

[newnan man]

I have a nice point my nephew gave me years ago. He found it in southern Oregon. It is shiny as can be and if I saw it in a antique store I would have just assumed it was modern. No obvious patination, very pretty point too. That one from the ditch is sweet.

 

[southfork]

U.S. and Canada Obsidian and FGV Source Maps Obsidian is found all over the west and traded all over N. America.

 

[joshuaream]

On the question of the patina, I have no skin in this game other than to say that big obsidian wealth blades were commonly made by California and Oregon groups into the late 1800's. It might not show a thousand years of patina in the picture simply because it isn't a thousand years old. I've also seen older bifaces like this that are quite a bit older. Google Obsidian Wealth Blade and you'll see lots of examples and details.

On the subject of patina, I've found obsidian archaic pieces in the Great Basin that have extreme white frost looking patina on one side yet be shiny black with fresh hinges on the other. The onion skin patina that someone else mentioned is usually there but often hard to photograph, it reminds me of the patina on old bottles if you've ever seen them.

 

[welsbury]

This is a good example of what Joshua mentioned

 

[T.C.]

On the question of the patina, I have no skin in this game other than to say that big obsidian wealth blades were commonly made by California and Oregon groups into the late 1800's. It might not show a thousand years of patina in the picture simply because it isn't a thousand years old. I've also seen older bifaces like this that are quite a bit older. Google Obsidian Wealth Blade and you'll see lots of examples and details.

On the subject of patina, I've found obsidian archaic pieces in the Great Basin that have extreme white frost looking patina on one side yet be shiny black with fresh hinges on the other. The onion skin patina that someone else mentioned is usually there but often hard to photograph, it reminds me of the patina on old bottles if you've ever seen them.

Thank you, Josh. You and Charl carry a lot of weight in my opinion.

 

[sandchip]

This is a good example of what Joshua mentioned

Nice!

 

[bigcaddy64]

Thanks to everybody who chimed in with info on the knife my coworker found. I guess he’s yet to return to the site due to rainy so cal weather and muddy conditions.

I noticed earlier the condition of the original posted photos made it seem smaller not as clear. I’ve posted them again via my iPad which should provide a picture with no distortion.

 

[bigcaddy64]

Never mind. They look fine on my iPad but get distorted when posted. My phone is an older iPhone and the camera isn’t the best indoors.

I’ll take some better pictures in full sunlight if I can have him drop it off at my house sometime.

 

[bigcaddy64]

Joshua,

You mentioned a wealth blade and that seems to be what my buddy has found. I’ve never found much Native American stuff except pottery fragments in cape cod near the family home so I really have never researched them and know just about nothing.

From what I’ve seen in museums and in school are items of a more practical size. The piece I’ve shown you is enormous and is in the range of 8-9” long.

I’ll relay to him all the info you have provided and let him know it’s possible he’s disturbing a grave or at least very close to one.

 

[Paleo_joe]

Just to chime in late, I have a worked piece of obsidian from a bluff shelter in Arkansas