My Creek - Too Sandy?

[BrettCo124]

Hi all,

I've posted many times about the creek I hunt for arrowheads. It runs in a major river (Delaware river) in Pennsylvania, and has been considered a "through way" for native Americans, NOT a place where they set up camp. Closer to the river (I'm about halfway to the main river and to the start of the creek), there have been artifacts found, and supposedly artifacts closer to me as well, although I have yet to see actual proof.

My question is, I've been searching and searching, not every day, but I've been to this site about 20 times for about an hour each time (I understand it's not a lot of time each visit, but it's all I could do). I never found a thing. My creek is full of nice gravel beds, with all different size stones. When I decided to dig the gravel underneath (just to look at what's underneath the stones), you can see in the photo that it's made up of smaller pebbles. Is this what could be problem? Is it too sandy? The photo doesn't show what lies on top, which again, is very nice sized stones, perfect sizes to be points and artifacts. I'll try and find other photos I've taken to show the gravel beds, but many on this forum has said it looks promising to them - I just couldn't find one even If they had little trackers on them. I'm about to call it on this creek...

 

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[BrettCo124]

Here are more pics of my Creek.

 

[Old Pueblo]

In my experience in the Southwest, sandiness is not good. Artifacts can easily be swept away and buried in the stuff and never ever found again. Rockier areas or areas where there is a lot of hard packed dirt seems to be a good place on land. If you're looking in a creek or river, Id look it the rockier sections, if there are any. The only time youll find stuff in the sand is after a good rain or flood, or so I would imagine. Its very different for you guys back east, though. Most of the stuff back there is buried in the ground, underneath the grass.

 

[sandchip]

I wouldn't think of giving up on it. I'd bet my last dollar that they're in there. I've looked my creeks for a lot longer and some give it up more easily than others, but with enough trips, one shows up and you forget all the bad days.

 

[rock]

Looks like a muddy creek which are hard to hunt. All the rocks will be the same color which is a real challenge to find them in. Find a big log or tree if you can drag it to the front of the gravel bar where the water hits it. Lay it down and secure it with big rocks behind it to hold it in place. On the next big rain if it doesnt float or roll away all the water that flows over the tree will create a big wash for you which should be a clear spot. It will also dig a hole behind the log. You can use a big piece of long wood and then secure it with ties at a angle so the water can flow over it to. Ive never done it but have seen downed trees change the creek and behind the trees a gravel bar will appear. Another thing if you can hunt it in the winter when the water is very cold lots of that green and black grass on the bottom should disappear I know it does in some creeks I look in. Then you can see the bottom better. But from the looks of your pics Id love to jump in your creek and have a look.

 

[11KBP]

Here are more pics of my Creek.

The rock and gravel bars in your pics appears to be plenty adequate for finding artifacts.

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks everybody for your responses/advice. So, question, would you just jump in ANY creek? This creek does not have other creeks dumping in to it, and my area is not where it dumps in to the major river. Native Americans only used it as a passage way. I am just having a hard time believing I'd find something in there.

Rock - thanks for the advice with the log trick. This creek actually naturally has these logs and things laying all around it. I still never find anything. It also has plenty of gravel bars with really nice sized stones, just what you'd want to see. Still, I find nothing. I just start questioning whether it's worth my time when I know no settlements occurred here and it was only used as a passage way. I'm trying to be patient. I'm also very curious because if one was actually there, it would be a 30 second walk from my house. The two (and only two) id ever found were almost a 2 hour drive away, where I could go to a friend's river house and search where known settlements were.

I'm just concerned that my Creek may just look good for artifacts, but may not hold a single one in it...

 

[Old Pueblo]

I think people usually find them in the smaller, clearwater streams, where you can easily see the bottom. But Ive never looked in a stream before here in the Southwest, although one time I did find a broken awl or drill in the rocky streambed near home. (I just happened to see it, but wasnt looking for artifacts or anything.) But thats the one and only artifact Ive ever found in water. I understand that a lot of people back East find great stuff in old fields after theyve been plowed, and the same is true out west here. Keep looking and you're bound to come across something.

 

[11KBP]

I just start questioning whether it's worth my time when I know no settlements occurred here and it was only used as a passage way.

I'm just concerned that my Creek may just look good for artifacts, but may not hold a single one in it...

For over 10,000 years Paleo and then later cultures occupied your state, how can you be sure there were no settlements on this particular drainage? Streambed meander back & forth in a valley over thousands of years can easily erase any signs of ancient campsites. Streambed meander is one of the primary causes for artifacts to become mixed in with the streambed rock & gravel.

In my opinion one hour hunts are generally not going to very productive. Before giving up on that creek I suggest hunting one to three miles of it in a day’s time (several times). I primarily hunt streambeds and have been skunked after hunting all day long, and then on a following day I might find several nice artifacts.

Making finds hunting streambeds in my region is not predictable but always enjoyable.

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks all. Always a pleasure taking in your advice.

So, I will shed some light on something that I do, which is going to result in a lot of people responding with "that's insane - that explains a lot".

I only search about a 100+ square foot area in my creek... I do it alone, and I'm always nervous walking down the creek and suddenly sinking in a deep area, getting my foot stuck on a branch and falling in, etc... I'm not that adventurous. One thing for sure is, the small area I check gets a really good looking-over, but no, I am not walking the creek for hours/miles.

I know, I should be. And I know, I shouldn't be getting frustrated at the creek when I am limiting myself so much. I just simply don't want to walk the creek. I still feel like, by visiting that area so often and checking it so well, I should have come across something by now.

As far as campsites go, I am only going off of the research I have done on the creek. The creek constantly floods. It has been doing that for as long as it's been around. In fact, the name of the Creek was named by Native Americans, and it actually means something along the lines of "creek that floods". But the history of it has stated that it was only a passage way for native Americans and not an area they set up camp.

The creek name by the way is pennypack creek. If you were to research it, you'd hear that you can find things where it meets and dumps in to the Delaware river, however I am not in that area. I am looking basically in the mid point between where the creek begins and where it dumps in to the river (about 8-10 miles past where I look)

 

[tnmudman]

I have never had any luck looking in streams i have looked in ones that have fields on both sides which are loaded with artifacts , you would think they are bound to be some in there but i havent found any yet and i have looked it very slow and thorough also have sifted quite a bit to no avail .I guess you have to be very determined and persistent.

 

[ptsofnc]

The rock and gravel bars in your pics appears to be plenty adequate for finding artifacts.

Looks like you have a great creek to look. Finding artifacts in creek is MUCH harder (for me) than hunting a newly rained on plowed field. But they are there. Don't give up. I had the same results when I first started hunting creeks. Explore especially areas around long standing, blocking/trapping obstacles in the creek bed. Good luck!

 

[coosakid]

Im sure there's one there but I have trouble finding anything in Sandy creeks myself.
Smaller feeder creeks would help too, that's where there would more likely have been a camp because of fresher water. But for the most part Indians were everywhere im sure there's one there just have patience. Try your other spot a few times and give it a break so you won't get burned out looking in that spot. A good sifter would help too, I seen a set up on the internet using pool noodles that looked like it would work good

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[shadrickhunt]

Always check the high sides of the banks also . Look for color changes in the sediment. Silt from floods can really pile up after thousands of years. I've read about archaeological digs in Tennessee and they had dug down 15ft or more.

 

[BrettCo124]

Thanks all! Is it basically safe to say that, if the creek was present while native Americans were around, then it definitely holds artifacts? I understand that the creek may have looked nothing like it does now thousands of years ago, but is that the overall fact of this hobby? They are basically everywhere?

Also, shadrickhunt - that's what I'm afraid of. Because of the sandy bottom, my artifacts could be deep underground (I don't sift for them - just checking on tops of stone beds). But when I arrive, I always see perfect piles of different varieties of stones, from 1" to 6" stones.

 

[shadrickhunt]

I would if I was you look at a Topo map of the general area . Look for higher ground in the vicinity. Your spot looks good it should have artifacts. There's a guy on this forum from north Georgia that a good creek artifact finder. Follow there advice be patient Mothernature will sift the artifacts for you.

 

[filmiracl]

Good to see someone else from the Philly area. The Pennypack was rich in indian history and there were plenty of artifacts found there... with that said, I've spent hours looking there but never personally never found anything. You can keep looking and might find something, but I honestly wouldn't waste my time there because there are better places to go.

 

[arrow86]

Also keep in my mind just because it's a creek today doesn't mean it was 5,000 years ago a lot of streams were not even formed yet so no your not going to find artifacts in every creek.

 

[filmiracl]

Also keep in my mind just because it's a creek today doesn't mean it was 5,000 years ago a lot of streams were not even formed yet so no your not going to find artifacts in every creek.

That's definitely true... but not in the case of Pennypack. The artifacts that have been there span from archaic to woodland (some of which are on display at a local center there.) Even the name is an indian name. Honestly, I wouldn't bother looking there... after spending the hours I did, I should have found something (at least based on my usual ratio of time to finds.) I also know some stuff was found at least off Sandy Run... one of the small branch creeks.

 

[rock]

It takes a while to train your eyes to see them. I went today to a section where I have permission to hunt only 2 gravel bars. There was 2 guys behind me looking I introduced myself to them and asked if they had found any. One guy says no nothing its to muddy. I looked next to his foot and picked up a nice scraper, haha