I Still Cant Believe What I Found !

[ivy_walls]

So check this out. I had been doing some research on a location that I wanted to check out with my metal detector. It used to be a saw mill out pretty far in the county. It so happened that I had been to church very early for a prayer group on Tuesday morning and we finished a little early. So I decided to go a little out of my way to see what the area looked like from the road. Once I got there I figured I had to at least look around and see if there were any remains on the ground. Instantly I started finding broken up pieces of pottery, some neat looking rocks, and glass from plates and bottles all over the place.







After picking up a pocket full of these things I called my wife to tell her where I was and that I would be heading home soon. While she was still on the phone I looked down and found my very first arrow head in 44 years of searching!!



I also found this very peculiar round piece of wood looking thing. It almost looks like a knot from a piece of wood, but its as hard as rock. Could it be petrified after only 200 years?? Its definitely knot a rock – its way to light.



And then the thing my biology teacher mother-in-law thought was the coolest thing. You tell me – it looks like a bear claw? If it is, then the next question is – How long has it been since there were bears in northern Indiana??



Then I also found a glass button and a couple of Indian beads. One of the beads had the center cleaned out so maybe its authentic?? I found all these things on the ground in about 30 minutes.





So raced home to show my wife and to beg her to let me go back and get permission from the farmer to be out there in his field. She finally said yes and the rest of the story is pretty boring. The farmer said yes "but just this one time" and I only had about two hours to be there. So in a panic to cover as much ground with my detector and my eyes at the same time I basically found nothing more than a few shards of possible arrow heads



and a lot more pottery and some iron pieces of the saw mill rusting away into oblivion.



I put together a pretty nice display and I think I’ll go show it to the farmer to try and warm him up to the idea of letting me go back out there at least one more time!!

Well thanks for looking and happy hunting.

Mark ( A.K.A. ivy_walls )

P.S. I just looked outside and it looks like winter has returned.

 

[drywalldave]

that does kinda look like a bear claw, I'd have it checked out, But real cool finds

 

[tymcmurray]

What and adventure!!!
You covered an awful lot of ground there.
Great finds.

 

[lockman209]

interesting finds

 

[vision quest]

Wow very cool! Good luck with getting permission from the farmer. Looks like the site has great potential.

 

[PBK]

The "claw" looks a bit like a boar's tusk.

​

 

[seger98]

The "claw" looks a bit like a boar's tusk.

​

That's what I was thinking it was, a tooth! Nice finds

 

[ivy_walls]

The "claw" looks a bit like a boar's tusk.

I wouldn't be surprised if it were a tooth, but I looked at some bear claws on the internet and found some claws that look a lot more like this thing .....



in a million years though I would never say that PBK was wrong though ...

thanks for the reply !!

 

[kenb]

Great finds Mark. Your idea of showing the farmer your finds is good, it just might get you back out there. I would say that site has great potential!!. Good luck!

kenb

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Nice job Mark! That arrowhead is a very cool find....bet there are more out there.....

 

[daytondigger]

I hope you can get back in there. Lot's of good sign and cool prehistoric finds.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Great finds! I don't think those are Indian beads...although the Indians in that area may have used them for that purpose, it seems they generally liked more colorful ones. What you actually have there is a piece of a Prehistoric Chrinoid stem.

http://skywalker.cochise.edu/wellerr/students/crinoids/Crinoids.htm



Now grab that detector and get out there where the pottery came up!

Regards,


Buckleboy

 

[ModernMiner]

Mark,
Some nice finds. Congrats on the arrowhead. I like finding glass shards too, they really add something to a display case of relics. I learned that from the best. (BuckleBoy)
You bringing the farmer a relic display should really soften the farmer up for future hunts. Great idea. I wish you luck.
I'll be up in LaPorte in a few weeks, but only for a w/end. Too bad, I would have loved to meet you.
-MM-

 

[fibberjibber]

Fantastic day for you Mark!! What are the dimensions of the arrow head? I don't think it is an arrow head from the size it appears in the picture. To me it doesn't have the look of arrow or even atlatl projectile typology. More likely either a spear or possibly knife that was resharpened down to nothing and then discarded, like a favorite hunting knife of yours might be over time. If it is a spear point, it could be very early. If it is a knife and you have not handled the sharp edges, a lab could tell you what type of plant or animal it was used on last. The material looks like some kind of white chert. You might want to have a local expert on native american lithics (possibly at a university or museum) verify the age. If it is super early, the site could be an important one for us archaeologists to survey!
-Eric

 

[Mental Granny]

Very, Very Neat finds I really hope you can talk the farmer into letting you go back and hunt if not detect at least eyeball,since you found alot of the stuff that way either would be lot of fun! Good Luck!

 

[lostlake88]

Finding your first arrowhead trumps anything metal, including gold. In fact one ounce of a well made Clovis arrowhead is worth more, far more than finding a one ounce gold coin. Nice job. Looks to be a woodland era arrowhead. 700-1300 years old.

 

[lostlake88]

That is a Beaver tooth (juvenile), possibly a muskrat tooth (mature male). Its not a claw of any sort in my opinion.

 

[Pepper2004]

Those are some neat finds! I sure hope the farmer lets you hunt again. Showing him your finds might just do the trick. You can bet there are more arrowheads there. Good luck.

 

[TN-Joe]

Cool I-ball finds. Hope you do get to go back.
Joe

 

[MonkeyBoy]

Looks more like a ground hog tooth?? or some sort of rodent tooth... I have found a bunch here in VA... along with the rest of the bones of a ground hog.. they were pretty long!!!

MonkeyBoy