The only arrowhead I have that I didn't find myself

[antmike915]

This was given to me by one of my old supervisors many years ago. He told me his dad used to find them all the time in Central and North Alabama and would mount them on boards and sometimes sell them that way. I usually wouldn't accept any Indian artifacts given to me by someone who I didn't know too well and/ or I wasn't there to witness it being found but he was pretty persistent on giving it to me so I said to myself why not. I keep this away from my collection due to the fact that I didn't find it myself and before I even think about adding it I wanted to know what you guys think about it. There is very little glue residue a little above the base in picture #1 and some old writing in pen that he said he tried to remove with fingernail polish, but the thing I'm concerned about is the impact fracture on the other side around the tip area, I've never seen a impact fracture where it ripples the area and I can tell that it's reworked into a blunt (with a more recent ding on the tip area). Can a impact fracture ripple like that? or could it be salvage work around a old fracture? The material is found in Central Alabama; that much is true and same with the style. What do you guys think?

 

[joshuaream]

I don't see any red flags with that point. Maybe a Benton point with an old impact that was reworked with as you point out a later ding to the tip.

It could have been a point that impacted something, or maybe a hafted knife that was dropped or had some odd pressure or torque that took off the the flake from the tip. I think some of the low energy impacts make more ripples in the flakes. (Or maybe the high energy ones make more ripples, not sure but I remember something about that.)

 

[lairmo]

I had one that I dropped from waist high on concrete that fractured (sorta) like that....

 

[newnan man]

Looks nice, I have several points that were gifts. I hold them in high esteem.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Nice point. I'd guess that material is from the Ft. Payne formation. Gary

 

[Tony in SC]

I like it! The ding makes it special.

 

[Older The Better]

Pretty sure it’s low impact, i always visualized it in my mind that a good strike had the energy to continue in a straight line through the stone a weak one would ripple and die out.

 

[smallfoot]

As a gift it would have an honored place, maybe not with my "finds"! If you're worried about the wavy flakes, check the other flake scars around that piece and you'll find several other wavy flake areas. I'm thinking it's a feature from that particular piece of chert. Maybe a little softer or harder material than the norm. Maybe a little heat treat that differed in the process.

 

[Twitch]

The impact fracture and the rework around it look good, and by that I mean exactly as you’d expect for an anciently damaged and repaired piece. Nice point. I like it.

 

[antmike915]

I knew that the material is right for the area it was found ( fort Payne I think) because I've found things like it. Thanks for everyone's thoughts. I'll put it in a frame (instead of throwing it in the woods by my house).

 

[Crumb]

I see nothing wrong with it bro nice point

 

[antmike915]

I had one that I dropped from waist high on concrete that fractured (sorta) like that....

I haven't dropped any yet but one time when digging my shovel hit a point and when I pulled it it was cracked in several places and pretty much crumbled in my hands.