Pretty sure this is an arrowhead. Am I right or wrong?

[Airborne80]

At first, I thought that this was just a flat rock. It is not sharp and it has no notches in the rear. But then...... I noticed that the center on both sides is raised (is that fluted?) and... after observing it under magnification, it appears that the sides have been flaked. Am I dreaming or have any of you seen a point like this? All opinions appreciated.

 

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[gnewt]

It is a point, Don't know how old but it could be from 1600 and It could be from the Iriqouis nation If it is different from others you found. They atacked Powhatans and whites. I don't remember what the Powhatans were called before they took that mean old mans name, he was a tough dude.
This was the era of John Smith, Pocahontas, King James, KJV Bible, Shakesphere and a lots of other brain dead people. LOL I got tagged with one of them brain dead names, newton. Gnewt

 

[tomclark]

Can't see anything but a general shape, lol. Quartz? Rhyolite? We have points that look like that in FL. Here they are called Tampa Points and are 1200-1600AD, true arrowheads. But you may have a small scraper or an older dart/spear tip depending on your area.
Let's see a better pic, lay it on a scanner maybe. What State and area? The typology of points depends a LOT on where they are found. Similar looking points could be many thousands of years apart. Location and better pic will have the collectors from your area crawling out of their ratholes, LOL

PS: I visited your website linked on your profile I feel your pain, Man. It's a wonderful memorial for your sister.

 

[gnewt]

Tom, You are right, I had put down tool and took it off because I have made tools like that for a special purpose but thought some one would have said naw.
I think it was also made prior to Powhatans time or by the Iroquois, I think it was found in the VA area near the Chesapeake.
One other thing, it is like some I made 72 years ago, when I was 8 to 10 I didn't put notches on them, ggpa was not letting me into his flint so I was making them like that with quartz. I made the shafts and all kinds of handles, so tools I made from quartz and flint, they had every shape in the book. GGPa and GPa were into blacksmithing, wood and stone. They made every tool they used. I tried to learn from them and GGMa, still ended up dumber than a wooden watch.

 

[bean man]

Hi Airborne. It could be Adena, woodland period. A flute is a flaking scar that starts from the base in the center. Thanks for posting.

 

[Cannonman17]

Despite what has been implied, there is no way to tell from those pictures if you have an artifact or not. It has the right shape but without a clear picture everything said here will be nothing more than a wild guess. Do you have a scanner?

 

[Airborne80]

Ok OK!!! I can take a hint..... I realize that the cell phone camera sucks and just spent an hour trying to figure out the scanner. A couple of them came out pretty clear Now....... I really appreciate all of your thoughts on this one. I ALMOST past it up, believing that it was a rock!! I can see and feel the work on it. If it is a woodland arrowhead... it will be my first. It came out of a river where very old, prehistoric arrowheads are found. I am in Virginia. Thanks for any ideas on its origin and age.

 

[Airborne80]

P.S. Tom...... thanks for checking out my sisters site. I also appeciate your comments on the arrowhead. I hope the new photos help.

 

[Cannonman17]

The top picture is only slightly more clear- and from what I can see I don't think it is anything other than a rock, I'm sorry... don't be discouraged, we all start out thinking we find more artifacts than we really do, some never grow out of it in fact, but if you keep looking you'll find something. That appears to be some type of quartzite- very difficult to work but it was used extensively in prehistoric times. The bad thing about quartz is it is often difficult to see the flaking scars and thus can be hard to identify for newbies.. even though it's hard to see the flaking scars it's typically not impossible and from what I see on this one there are no flaking scars or signs of modification by human hands at all. I'll say 90% sure only because the pictures.... they are still too blurry.

 

[bean man]

Airborne, I can't be sure yes or no, but I will say this. Certain members, don't know near as much as they would like to think. Anybody, that thinks they can be 90 or 100% sure from a picture is just feeding their ego.

 

[Airborne80]

I hear both of you loud and clear. Not because I "Want it to be" but after looking at it with magnification (5X) I am 90% sure that it IS in fact an arrow head.... here is why. As you can see on the top (scanned photo) there are flake scars along the length of the right side. There are also (hard to see, I know... in the pic) corresponding flake scars on the opposite side. That, combined with the fluting along the center and the tapered rear end..... along with the fact that it was found exactly where I have found other "dead ringer" arrowheads.... has me pretty certain. Cannonman...... I am starting to see how the absence of a clear photo is problematic in this context but...... I think if you could see this in person, you would lower your percentage of certainty Thanks again to all who responded.

 

[Billco]

Airborne, I can't see how anybody could definitely tell one way or the other whether you've found a relic, based on the photos. I don't know as much about Indian relics as some do here, but my best guess is that you've found some sort of relic. Good luck with the scanner. It will help.

I read your very nice tribute to your sister also. You've told a very engaging story in those first two chapters. Are there more chapters?

 

[bean man]

Good enough for me! Congratulations!

 

[Airborne80]

Thanks Bilco. The sad truth is... I created that website soon after it all went down. I am not a computer guy by any stretch But regardless, it has stayed up and I still get hits on it somehow. Many people tell me that it has helped them greatly, so I guess it serves a greater purpose than I intended it to serve. It was a source of... outlet, for me at the time. As for the chapters.... After I wrote them.... all hell broke lose in my life. A serious accident that left me in bed for a year, a divorce after a twenty year marrage (went through that nightmare in a wheelchair), a move form the West Coast to the East Coast and a new marriage. Needless to say, I have been distracted a bit . Now that the dust has settled and life is great again..... finishing that book is on the top of my to do list. Thank you for checking it out and for your thoughts on it. Stay safe and well.

 

[gnewt]

How is the wife?

Go dig up another point Charlie, all you gotta do is point let them do the digging. Gnewt

 

[razor]

Airborne, it looks like what you MIGHT have is a preform. I'll see if I can't dig up a pic of one to give you something to go off of, Razor

 

[razor]

Okay, here are a couple of preforms that I have. The short of the long is that they would rough out a point or knife or tool... and then finish it later. They would even use them as a type of currency. I hope this helps, Ray

 

[IDdesertman]

Looks like a rock...

 

[Cannonman17]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! Beano says it's an artifact!!! Good enough for me!!! Damned be the evidence, and blury pics!! It MUST be one because I said it was NOT one- typical beano style rational. What do you think it is beano? Do you think it's PALEO?!??!!!!??... probably a Paleo period knife, rare find indeed, and from a material so rare... WOW!!! What age do you think that piece is beano? Probably predates any other known find ever eh? Tell us about it oh great creator of gas... bean man. It's probably so old that the flaking scars just wore right off!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm done here. Sorry for the rant, I just can't stand people spreading a bunch of info around this forum like a farmer in spring spreading something else. Beano, you are an idiot and that's all there is to it. You came on this forum a year ago a newbie and now think you are an expert except you still haven't learned to tell the difference between a rock and an artifact... that doesn't bother you though... you'll keep on walking around the forum blindly telling everybody that everything they find is an artifact, never mind that guy in the corner who actually taught archaeology classes at an University... never mind that guy who was given credit in a book published by his professor for lithic typology analysis, never mind the guy who has been hunting artifacts constantly for the last twenty years, never mind the guy who delved so deeply into the subject that he taught himself how to make the artifacts in the old ways without help or teaching from anybody esle, yes, never mind that guy, he doesn't know what he's talking about, never mind all the other people on here with all their years and years of experience from all over the country, never mind the guys who go looking constantly and attend every artifact show within a hundred miles, never mind the guys on here that go and give talks to kids at the schools and volunteer their time to teach, never mind any of them, all hail the great beano, master of all lithic typologies and chief director of turning ordinary rocks into museum pieces.

Go ahead beano, take your shots-

 

[bean man]

I doubt your really done. I think it's so funny! The thought of you being wrong, just kills you, doesn't it?