Requesting help with a decorated Copper Culture spearhead

[Plumbata]

Recently I purchased a sleeper batch of artifacts for 20 shipped, including this rather nice socketed copper spearhead, which weighs 37 grams and is 4.5 inches long. I've wanted a good one for a long time as a New-World ambassador to my European spearhead collection, and think this fits the bill. Next is a Chimu example.

Apart from the appealing construction and form, it has very definite deep divots on 1 side of the blade. Some of the divots closer to the business end are less pronounced or perhaps fully missing due to loss of metal and carbonate patina, but what remains suggests that it was quite purposefully decorated/modified. I don't know where specifically it was found, but it came from a New York estate for whatever that's worth.

Anyway, I was hoping some of you may have seen similar "decorated" Old Copper Complex artifacts, or may have some insights about the spearhead? I personally have not seen anything quite like it.

 

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[justonemore]

Nice score.
Post photos and questions to this group on facebook. A real helpful group there.

Old Copper Complex and ancient waterways America
https://www.facebook.com/groups/329350223815305/

 

[joshuaream]

That is really cool. I’ve never seen anything like it.

Slate relics with dots and line patterns are relatively common, and can be similar in age. That’s really the only thing I can relate to it.

 

[georgia flatlander]

That's a great Copper Culture example of a spearhead. I recently talked to the archaeologist who excavated a site in coastal Georgia a few months ago, who said that Copper Culture items were being found in the southern part of the U.S.
Copper trade from that era (particularly from the Great Lakes region) had not been thought of as common, but these new discoveries are shedding light on a far more extensive trade network than previously believed. During the Mississippian period, copper relics found in mounds such as Etowah in Georgia, Spiro in Oklahoma and Lake Jackson in Florida, were determined to have been from that area, but thousands of years later. The Copper Culture copper production is now thought to have been the largest in the world at the time, anywhere from 4,000-6000 years ago.
That's pretty amazing, and so is that point. I'd love to find something like that!

 

[Tony in SC]

Great piece, appears very old. Has a European look.

 

[Rookster]

Nice buy. That's an interesting weapon.

 

[Plumbata]

During the Mississippian period, copper relics found in mounds such as Etowah in Georgia, Spiro in Oklahoma and Lake Jackson in Florida, were determined to have been from that area, but thousands of years later.

I'm not too familiar with those sites, were some of the copper items ancient already when they were deposited in the Mississippian era sites, or are you saying they were made from recycled Copper Culture items? Regardless, the whole Old Copper Complex is a fascinating facet of human technological and cultural achievement. I enjoy stone artifacts plenty and some possess a beauty that can't be matched in any other medium, but when mankind made its foray into metallurgy is when I believe our species gained the power to forge its destiny. The earliest copper or bronze tool technologies are among the first stepping stones out of the mud toward the wonders of the modern age, with the achievements of the Copper-savvy Native American cultures being an important part of that story.

Old Copper Complex and ancient waterways America
https://www.facebook.com/groups/329350223815305/

Awesome resource, thanks! I spent some time browsing their page and more or less found an answer without having to ask:



"Dashes, punched in to blade surface. Dashes were often accompanied with pop dots often called Punctates or punch marks. The purpose of punctuates and dashes is not clearly understood, but may include: decoration, ownership marks, maker marks, family or clan marks, a form of prototype writing, tallying objects or events, celestial maps, designs for the production of certain copper artifacts and or recording stories or events."

Not related, but I saw a personal bucketlister "halfbreed" copper/silver ulu knife, I'd probably die on the spot if I dug something like this:

 

[georgia flatlander]

No, the Mississippian era copper was actually made by the locals with raw copper. They perfected a style called repousse, in which they hammered the copper into forms. Most of the copper artifacts of that era were sheet copper artifacts, such as breastplates, ornamental gorgets, headdress ornaments and earrings, to name a few. It is probably more common than people realize, but there are many burial mounds that haven't been fully excavated. One, Cemochechobee, eroded into the Chattahoochee River (or Lake Eufala), and was excavated before it was completely destroyed, sometime in the early '80's. There were copper pendants that may have been used as a headdress found there, and that particular mound complex has almost completely disappeared from the historical record. I do a lot of hunting in Clay County, so the local folklore is about the best information I can gather.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Here in Cent.IL most of the copper we find is associated with the middle woodland Hopewells. Copper celts and beads, although they are far from being common. Gary

 

[Plumbata]

georgia flatlander, It seems that thin copper becomes extremely brittle and fragile over centuries of burial, so while much of the repousse is probably still waiting to be found as you suggest, I bet a lot was damaged or left behind when private individuals mined mounds for their more durable stone and ceramic artifacts several generations ago. Do you think that the usage of copper became more culturally/religiously constrained as time went on? The ancient material seems largely utilitarian whereas the more recent Cahokia-influenced copper seems more ceremonial.

Toddspoint, The only copper I've found was in Peoria County, IL and both chunks were glacial float as far as I can tell, a small one around 1/4 oz and this large one an eyeball find in a creek (thought it was melted green plastic at first), 272 grams or 9.6 ounces. While it might superficially resemble a preform or partially worked nugget it has no worm tracks or other evidence that I can see. One of my favorite creekwalking finds, and I can only imagine what a windfall such a nugget would have been to a native way back then. Could have made a serviceable celt plus a knife or spearhead out of it, or maybe traded it for a wife or three.

 

[georgia flatlander]

georgia flatlander, It seems that thin copper becomes extremely brittle and fragile over centuries of burial, so while much of the repousse is probably still waiting to be found as you suggest, I bet a lot was damaged or left behind when private individuals mined mounds for their more durable stone and ceramic artifacts several generations ago. Do you think that the usage of copper became more culturally/religiously constrained as time went on? The ancient material seems largely utilitarian whereas the more recent Cahokia-influenced copper seems more ceremonial.

Toddspoint, The only copper I've found was in Peoria County, IL and both chunks were glacial float as far as I can tell, a small one around 1/4 oz and this large one an eyeball find in a creek (thought it was melted green plastic at first), 272 grams or 9.6 ounces. While it might superficially resemble a preform or partially worked nugget it has no worm tracks or other evidence that I can see. One of my favorite creekwalking finds, and I can only imagine what a windfall such a nugget would have been to a native way back then. Could have made a serviceable celt plus a knife or spearhead out of it, or maybe traded it for a wife or three.
View attachment 1633442View attachment 1633443

While a lot of research has been done on the Mississippian copper artifacts, there are very few studies researching the mining and specifically the longevity, of copper mining activities. Simply by looking at the timeline of copper artifacts, I agree with you. The older objects were actually used in day-to-day life, especially the Copper Culture-era artifacts. Most of the Mississippian artifacts seem to be ceremonial and decorative, although some of the celts I've seen are strong-up to 3/16" thick. Those could have conceivably been used as a weapons but not likely.
Finding and researching museum quality pieces is sexy and attracts funding; utilitarian artifacts do not. The quality and uniformity of some of the copper points is amazing, given their age. It raises even more questions about how history has treated early natives, portraying them as unenlightened savages when most of "us" see them in a completely different light.
One item on my bucket list is to visit the Copper Culture State Park and associated museum in Wisconsin. I think that would be pretty incredible.

 

[georgia flatlander]

georgia flatlander, It seems that thin copper becomes extremely brittle and fragile over centuries of burial, so while much of the repousse is probably still waiting to be found as you suggest, I bet a lot was damaged or left behind when private individuals mined mounds for their more durable stone and ceramic artifacts several generations ago. Do you think that the usage of copper became more culturally/religiously constrained as time went on? The ancient material seems largely utilitarian whereas the more recent Cahokia-influenced copper seems more ceremonial.

Toddspoint, The only copper I've found was in Peoria County, IL and both chunks were glacial float as far as I can tell, a small one around 1/4 oz and this large one an eyeball find in a creek (thought it was melted green plastic at first), 272 grams or 9.6 ounces. While it might superficially resemble a preform or partially worked nugget it has no worm tracks or other evidence that I can see. One of my favorite creekwalking finds, and I can only imagine what a windfall such a nugget would have been to a native way back then. Could have made a serviceable celt plus a knife or spearhead out of it, or maybe traded it for a wife or three.
View attachment 1633442View attachment 1633443

While a lot of research has been done on the Mississippian copper artifacts, there are very few studies researching the mining and specifically the longevity, of copper mining activities. Simply by looking at the timeline of copper artifacts, I agree with you. The older objects were actually used in day-to-day life, especially the Copper Culture-era artifacts. Most of the Mississippian artifacts seem to be ceremonial and decorative, although some of the celts I've seen are strong-up to 3/16" thick. Those could have conceivably been used as a weapons but not likely.
Finding and researching museum quality pieces is sexy and attracts funding; utilitarian artifacts do not. The quality and uniformity of some of the copper points is amazing, given their age. It raises even more questions about how history has treated early natives, portraying them as unenlightened savages when most of "us" see them in a completely different light.
One item on my bucket list is to visit the Copper Culture State Park and associated museum in Wisconsin. I think that would be pretty incredible.