Is this Native American Indian Artifact?

[BrettCo124]

Hi all,

I am in a place where there has been much Native American campsites in Maryland. People have found arrowheads here before, including one myself.

I am not good at IDing things, and I was about to throw this one back in until I decided to ask you all if you could tell me if it's anything other than a stone. I feel like I've seen something similar before on the forum...

Thank you everybody.

BrettCo

 

[arrow86]

Nice point you found .... What part of Maryland are you from I hunt on eastern shore of northern MD

 

[crj1968]

Do you have more pics of that blue point? Not sure Ive seen one that color before....looks nice

 

[BrettCo124]

It's actually dark black. When I initially took the photo, it was tough to see the grooves. So I lightened it up and it appeared to be a shade of blue. Here is another photo:

 

[BrettCo124]

Arrow86 - I'm in elkton at a friend's place, but actually from Philly.

I wanted to note: I just returned from that same stretch of beach. This time, I came home with nothing. I wanted to go over what I did and what I experienced while there, and perhaps you can tell me either "keep on searching, you won't find one every day" or "it's time to move on. You just got lucky".

I spent 2 1/2 hours there today (rain held me back from staying longer). I initially looked all over the beach in hopes of something sticking out like a sore thumb. I didn't find anything.

I then searched in the water, but it was slightly cloudier than the other day. I decided to use my metal detecting scoop wit the long handle. I was, of course, nervous about breaking any artifacts while doing this, but I felt like I had to because I couldn't see the stones in the water anymore, which is where that baby in the photo above this came from.

I pulled out scoops full of stones and pebbles for 2 straight hours, and not one single thing appeared to have been worked.

I really don't have other areas to go. This place belongs to a friend who offered to allow me to do this on his beach (after I randomly found a point there last year). He has also found one years ago, but they always say they never find them there. I don't believe they are actually looking in the way that we would search. They just use the beach for "fun in the sun".

I just wanted to run that by you. I want to keep returning there because it's safe, not too far, I've found them before, it's private and I have permission. Is it normal to not find anything some days? Or, let me ask this way: was it just a freak of nature that last year a point was sitting next to my foot on that beach, and just a few days ago, i reached in the water in hopes of pulling out an arrowhead, and after a half hour, I did?! What are your thoughts?

Very, very lastly, I found this (see photo), but I have no idea if it could be a flake or a small worked stone, or just natural. What do you think?

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Last piece is just a rock too.

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[arrow86]

I think there's a lot of sites that your not going to find something everytime out ..... If you went at low tide and didn't find anything especially after that storm we had a few weeks ago than the points there may just be few and far between ... Also keep in mind a lot of the Elk River has eroded over the past few years while this helps pull new material out it also creates another top layer to bury them deeper so maybe give digging/ sifting a try while your down here. There's a site I have that for 8 years I only focused on the are close to where I found 4 nice ones the first few times out .... This year by chance I wondered around the bend and have found more there in 4 months than the last 8 years .... So don't spend all your time on one spot check all beach you have access too. And have fun while your in Ceciltucky ... Lol I work in Elkton so I can call it that

 

[BrettCo124]

lol thanks for the advice! I was sort of sifting with the big sand scoop I have with the long handle, but came up empty handed! I'm always nervous to venture on to the other beaches because I feel like they are private beaches in front of the homes, even though I know people venture around there all the time. It also doesn't help that it's not the season yet to be on the beach, so I feel like people think I'm up to no good lol. Trust me, id absolutely LOVE to venture around the beaches. I basically take a 1.5 hour drive to scan a 100' x 8' piece of a beach!

Would you be willing to direct me to a public beach access area in elkton that produces points? I most certainly wouldn't want to know your spots, but if you knew of a public beach that I could give it a try (since I know the elk river produces points now), id greatly appreciate it. Once the beach season opens, I won't be able to walk around the beach at this house I go to anymore because their families will all be down there.

 

[jmaschal]

Arrow can tell you more about the beaches but all the streams have produced for me around there. I like the Elk and little elk further from the mouth. All of Cecil was traveled for trade purposes. Good luck!

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks so much! The elk is where I'm searching, should I stay put? Lol. I would love to know if there is a public area along the elk river so I can search without having to always be in front of my friend's place.

 

[jmaschal]

Good read for you on history of Cecil County it can point you in a couple of directions - https://archive.org/details/historyofcecilco00john

 

[Charl]

It's actually dark black. When I initially took the photo, it was tough to see the grooves. So I lightened it up and it appeared to be a shade of blue. Here is another photo: View attachment 1440711

Its hard to be certain from your photo, and I can see nicks to each lower corner, but it looks like an ear on the lower right corner. It looks like a Brewerton Eared Triangle, and you're hunting within their range. Here's a link describing them, with illustrations. Nice point.

And no, it's not unusual to strike out. It's common where I come from.

New York State Museum - Projectile Point Type Collection

 

[BrettCo124]

Good read for you on history of Cecil County it can point you in a couple of directions - https://archive.org/details/historyofcecilco00john

thanks for the read! I am going to share this with the land owner (my friend) as well. He's had the home for 40 years now, and I'm sure he'll love this.

So, with the Native Americans traveling and settling all around that river, is it safe to say that all beaches along it are game? I felt very disappointed today not coming out with anything, but there is a such a crazy backstory to it for why I felt that way. I found that nice point within 20 minutes of arrival. I had no clue what I was doing, so I honest-to-god reached in the water and picked up any dark stones (I found one last year randomly that was dark) one by one.

Within 20 minutes, I randomly pull out a pristine arrowhead. How the hell does that happen?! And today, I scoop out tons and tons of stones, covering the entire beach, and I couldn't event locate a flake! I think I just became very down about it too fast, and gave up midway through the search. I could have done better, but a couple of days ago made me feel like I was going to find all kinds of artifacts and worked pieces.

 

[BrettCo124]

Its hard to be certain from your photo, and I can see nicks to each lower corner, but it looks like an ear on the lower right corner. It looks like a Brewerton Eared Triangle, and you're hunting within their range. Here's a link describing them, with illustrations. Nice point.

And no, it's not unusual to strike out. It's common where I come from.

New York State Museum - Projectile Point Type Collection

Thanks Charl! That makes me feel better that it's common to strike out. After the 50th scoop of stones, and only seeing stone with nothing worked, I was beginning to think I was just lucky those couple of times.

I tried to take more photos for you of the one I found. I looked closely and I do not see any ears, or breaks where there could have been ears. I believe this piece is remarkably complete. A friend of mine who loves arrowheads said it's a Levanna. Not sure what that means, but that's what he said!

I'll tell you what, finding that on my own was one hell of a rush for me. It defined happiness for me, in one aspect of my life. I love it. Can't wait to get back out again.

 

[Charl]

Yes, it could easily be a Levanna. But triangles won't end in a square at the corner like that. That's almost always the result of damage, be it ancient or modern. And, if ancient, a water worn break to boot. Your original photo made it look like a tiny ear was extending off that corner. The ears on such Brewertons can actually be barely discernible from the get go. But, though there's a water worn break at that corner, Levanna is a good call as well, the slight angle break or change in direction can result from an ear, or from resharpening.

Here's Levanna:

http://collections.nysm.nysed.gov/projectilepoints/types/levanna.html

 

[BrettCo124]

Yes, it could easily be a Levanna. But triangles won't end in a square at the corner like that. That's almost always the result of damage, be it ancient or modern. And, if ancient, a water worn break to boot. Your original photo made it look like a tiny ear was extending off that corner. The ears on such Brewertons can actually be barely discernible from the get go. But, though there's a water worn break at that corner, Levanna is a good call as well, the slight angle break or change in direction can result from an ear, or from resharpening.

Here's Levanna:

http://collections.nysm.nysed.gov/projectilepoints/types/levanna.html

That site is great for referencing artifacts. Thanks for showing me! It's amazing how you all can look at an image and decipher exactly what it appears to be.

 

[Wm the Conqueror]

I think the rock is awesome! It. Is an artifact
and it looks like a type of hand tool!

 

[Charl]

I think the rock is awesome! It. Is an artifact
and it looks like a type of hand tool!

But it shows no work fashioning it, and it shows no usage wear anywhere. It's not a tool. But, if it's a grade of banded slate, it might have been collected for raw material to use for slate artifacts. That might be the case if it were found on a known camp, but usually very hard to actually prove.....

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I think the rock is awesome! It. Is an artifact
and it looks like a type of hand tool!

there is nothing on the rock that says it was ever touched by the hand of ancient man.

 

[BrettCo124]

I wish though I kept it anyways haha.

 

[BrettCo124]

I meant to ask, I posted a bunch of photos of a rock (in this thread, about maybe 10 responses above this one) that I thought was possibly a flake or something small and worked. It was considered only a rock.

Could you explain why you came to that conclusion so I can understand as well? Does everyone else also agree it's only a rock? It's small, thin but not super thin, but has areas on it that look chipped off... here is another photo of it: