🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Ohio River Iron Relic

[Mkriegs]

I found this piece while diving in the Ohio River near Moundsville, West Virginia. It is solid iron and was laying with other pieces of iron rod. The triangular head of the item is flat but appears to have two open slits.
Also found several 1930s-50s bottles nearby. Was at a site adjacent to an older railroad spur. Thoughts?

 

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[villagenut]

Looks like a fence post

 

[ToddsPoint]

I’ve always thought the bottom of the Ohio River must have lots of treasure. Especially from the Falls of the Ohio to the Mississippi River. A lot of piracy from late 1700s into early 1800s in the area of Cave-In-Rock IL. Pirates preyed on early settlers traveling to the newly opened NW Territory, moving down the Ohio in flat boats with all their possessions. Wm Mason gang, the Harpie brothers, numerous bad actors there at that time period. There are surely pirate camps and stashes in that area near the river yet to be discovered.

 

[ColtsPop]

It appears to be the end of a harpoon.

 

[Mkriegs]

I’ve always thought the bottom of the Ohio River must have lots of treasure. Especially from the Falls of the Ohio to the Mississippi River. A lot of piracy from late 1700s into early 1800s in the area of Cave-In-Rock IL. Pirates preyed on early settlers traveling to the newly opened NW Territory, moving down the Ohio in flat boats with all their possessions. Wm Mason gang, the Harpie brothers, numerous bad actors there at that time period. There are surely pirate camps and stashes in that area near the river yet to be discovered.

Yes and no. There are definitely a ton of great relics and such in the river from the steamboat days. I occasionally find nice bottles, old coins, and other relics but it is uncommon. There are huge expanses of the Ohio River that are barren of artifacts or have been altered by dredging/gravel extraction. There is also a lot of sand/silt/gravel overburden that buries a lot of the artifacts. You also have to remember that most of the items that were stolen during the piracy days were dry goods/farm products such as corn, salted pork, whiskey, ect. Most of the good items I find are from the 1880s - 1930s.