New Member Needs Help Identifying Creek Finds

[Louise22]

Hello, I am recently retired and have just begun to learn about Native American artifacts. My family owns a large piece of property in St. Charles, MO. It has a large creek and smaller creeks running through it, and it is well-known/believed that Native Americans once lived on the property. Over the past 50 years, many arrowheads have been found, but that about exhausted our knowledge of artifacts up until now. Anyway, I was artifact-creek-walking for the first time this past week and came across numerous items, one in particular, that I'd love to get your input on. I found it in a small wet shallow creek bed. It is stone and fits comfortably in my hand. There appears to be an image of a snake's head on one side and a bird head and bear head (?) on the other. When I hold it in my right hand, the snake head points away from me and the bird and bear face towards me. On the bear's face, there appear to be 2 very small chiseled square/rectangular "eyes". Any ideas on what this is, what it may have been used, by whom, and/or when? My thought was perhaps it was used by a shaman or in a ritual of some sort? I have also found many other interesting items, which I will post, as well, if you are interested in seeing them. But first, I will simply post pictures of this intriguing snake/bird/bear relic. Thank you, I look forward to reading your replies.

 

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[Chessmen Trip]

I am not an expert but I have a feeling that you'll be told by those who know better, this is just an interesting looking rock.

 

[Louise22]

Here are a few of the other artifacts I found in the same small creek area. Your comments are most welcome, as I definitely have much to learn. (Sorry, some of the pics loaded upside-down.)

 

[RGINN]

That first one's just a cool rock, in my opinion. Never go by how it fits in the hand, but what you would actually use it for. That second set, you got a couple of things there. I don't hunt creeks; I locate the village sites and hunt there. rock, who hunts creeks all the time and is on here can look at that second set of pics and tell you more than I could about them.

 

[Louise22]

Thank you!

 

[Mrdigz]

Nice finds!! You're in the right area and you have found some cool points and scrapers.
That circular scraper could have possibly been hafted and used as an axe as well. Second pic looks like a flake that was intended to be used as a knife blade. Good luck and Keep looking!! HH

 

[Louise22]

Nice finds!! You're in the right area and you have found some cool points and scrapers.
That circular scraper could have possibly been hafted and used as an axe as well. Second pic looks like a flake that was intended to be used as a knife blade. Good luck and Keep looking!! HH

Thanks for your input!

 

[ptsofnc]

Missouri is a fantastic state for artifacts. Keep searching the gravel bars in that creek, slowly. Good luck!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

1st post is natural formed rocks with erosion. Dont get hung up on how a rock fits your hand, that is common mistake new hunters make, you can make almost any rock fit in your hand one way or another .

2nd set of photos number 1 and 3 are a maybe, the rest are natural rocks from erosion, need better pictures of edges and back of 1 and edges of 3.

January 20, 2017 A New Beginning!

 

[sandchip]

Missouri is a fantastic state for artifacts. Keep searching the gravel bars in that creek, slowly. Good luck!

Couldn't have said it better! You will find something.

 

[coosakid]

Google some points from your area and get an idea on shape and probably most importantly the type of material to look for. I've posted quite a few rocks on here so dont feel bad. But I've learned a lot from here. Once you find a good one it'll start clicking

 

[Louise22]

Thanks for all the replies, appreciate it!

 

[BearCreek]

Welcome Louise22! Whether the first find is a wildly interesting natural rock or an artifact - I love it! I would have a ball telling stories about it with my granddaughters. I'm still in the beginning stages of learning to identify artifacts too.
There are a couple of sites that have been very helpful in my learning process.
This one explains a lot of the terms I needed to know in order to use the second site. http://www.fire.ca.gov/resource_mgt/archaeology/downloads/recognizing_artifacts.pdf
The second site helps with identifying what you might find in your area.
Projectile Point Identification Guide.
Enjoy your hunts - look forward to seeing what you find!

 

[Louise22]

Welcome Louise22! Whether the first find is a wildly interesting natural rock or an artifact - I love it! I would have a ball telling stories about it with my granddaughters. I'm still in the beginning stages of learning to identify artifacts too.
There are a couple of sites that have been very helpful in my learning process.
This one explains a lot of the terms I needed to know in order to use the second site. http://www.fire.ca.gov/resource_mgt/archaeology/downloads/recognizing_artifacts.pdf
The second site helps with identifying what you might find in your area.
Projectile Point Identification Guide.
Enjoy your hunts - look forward to seeing what you find!

So true, BearCreek!! - fyi: we have a department at Washington University in St. Louis where they will examine potential artifacts, and it's been suggested that I take the first item I posted to them, which I plan on doing. I cannot imagine Mother Nature just happened to create this . . . those chiseled eyes on the "bear" are not happenstance. Many thanks for the web links, I will definitely take a look

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

So true, BearCreek!! - fyi: we have a department at Washington University in St. Louis where they will examine potential artifacts, and it's been suggested that I take the first item I posted to them, which I plan on doing. I cannot imagine Mother Nature just happened to create this . . . those chiseled eyes on the "bear" are not happenstance. Many thanks for the web links, I will definitely take a look

I walked the creeks, streams and rivers of Missouri for over 20 years artifact hunting, I found hundreds like the one in your opening post, all natural erosion.

 

[rock]

That first one's just a cool rock, in my opinion. Never go by how it fits in the hand, but what you would actually use it for. That second set, you got a couple of things there. I don't hunt creeks; I locate the village sites and hunt there. rock, who hunts creeks all the time and is on here can look at that second set of pics and tell you more than I could about them.

Thanks but not all the time and all the ones I do walk are on privately owned property with owners permission. There is still 1 I can hunt but they have Angus bulls on it so Im saving it on the back burner as Im sure you know why.

 

[rock]

Louise22 The 1st one even though is a neat rock its a piece of natural Limestone which you find in most creeks. Limestone is one of the best foolers for shapes when you are out looking for something nice. Its comes in small to very large pieces but you will know its natural by the feel it should feel like a piece of sand paper when dry or wet. Indians did like it due to sometimes flint will grow on it inside and out but Ive never found a piece of it worked not saying it is impossible but yours looks natural to me. The others look worked except for a couple on the end pics. Believe it or not even a creek can chip an edge on a piece of flint if the flint is laying flat on the bottom and the current is rolling small cobbles over it. As the cobbles hit the flint it will chip an edge on the flint and make it looked worked but sometimes its a natural edge. But most of the others look worked. rock

 

[Louise22]

I walked the creeks, streams and rivers of Missouri for over 20 years artifact hunting, I found hundreds like the one in your opening post, all natural erosion.

OK, thank you! I'll post here if anything interesting comes of it.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

OK, thank you! I'll post here if anything interesting comes of it.

Welcome to TreasureNet and good luck on your next artifact hunt.

 

[Louise22]

Louise22 The 1st one even though is a neat rock its a piece of natural Limestone which you find in most creeks. Limestone is one of the best foolers for shapes when you are out looking for something nice. Its comes in small to very large pieces but you will know its natural by the feel it should feel like a piece of sand paper when dry or wet. Indians did like it due to sometimes flint will grow on it inside and out but Ive never found a piece of it worked not saying it is impossible but yours looks natural to me. The others look worked except for a couple on the end pics. Believe it or not even a creek can chip an edge on a piece of flint if the flint is laying flat on the bottom and the current is rolling small cobbles over it. As the cobbles hit the flint it will chip an edge on the flint and make it looked worked but sometimes its a natural edge. But most of the others look worked. rock

Thanks, Rock -- appreciate your time and insights!