Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Indian Artifacts - Volume II

That white one looks like it might have been retouched at the tip, interesting, nice finds.

I've bout chewed thru the bit waiting on last months flood waters to go down. Those buff heads you been pickin got me fired up to look for some on the Arkansas

Around here it would be almost a form of a St Charles dovetail

That’s about what I’ve settled on Renegade. The front doesn’t resemble most St Charles as most examples of them are more convex like a kirk and this one has the Christmas tree shape. The Plevna dovetail looks very similar but I’m a long way from the Tennessee River Valley where they’re usually found

2 hours and constant swatting at deer flies and this is all I have to show for it.

Deer Flies AND Skeeters are bad here, too....

Well I’d say you guys did okay. I worked all day and when I got home I was out swatting buffalo gnats and skeeters till dark but I was mowing and not hunting injun rocks.

Regarding uncommon to area ancient artifact finds, is it reasonable that such finds could be from distant ancient travelers, hunting/raiding parties or simple trading with distant individuals/tribes, etc.?

I firmly believe that the “experts” don’t know nearly as much as they think they do when it comes to the distribution and timelines of ancient Americans. Just in the one spot I’ve found point forms and tools that, according to books and scholars range in age from 12,000 to 200 years old. I’ve also found forms that are a good 600-800 miles from their supposed range.

I’m fascinated by the whole hobby/science of artifact hunting but I believe a lot, if not most of whats “known” is pure theory.

A lot of truth to that.

There are many variables.

Like you, I have found artifacts Paleo era to Post-archaic period, in one location. But the older were at the bottom and newer at the top, with no mixing in the layers.

Found an Early Triangular point made of jade. Figure that one out, being as it was found far south.

Early man traveled and traded materials and goods much more than most people think.

Found alabates artifacts hundreds of miles from any known source.

Lots of questions unanswered.

Imagine a 500 year old Indian picking up a 1,000 year old knife blade. Think he'd use it?

This has been known for a long time, Alibates flint was traded far and wide. It is a very fine grained chert and was actually mined. Remember the plains indians were a migratory people.

Found an obsidian point along the Cumberland about 1/ 4th mile behind the house. That had ta travel a ways from the sources in the west.
The material rock and flakes laying on the ground is mind boggling
Almost sensory overload.
I would say half of the debitage is from 100,s of mile away easy.
It ain't native to around here for sure.
They turn it over deep about every 4 or 5 yrs for tobacco.
Found alot of points down there over the years from dalton's to mississippian stuff and everything in between.

Alot of the established knowledge about era,s, distribution, and types is dated. It puts alot of faith into certain people saying this was that, that was this, this was from then or that place.
And 50 60 70 or more years ago.
Not saying it was inaccurate but some saying something carte blanche and everyone accepting it as gospel. Leads to alot of conjecture.

My back yard is full of round chert nodules.
Some of it actually is broken up and looks fire treated.
Right behind that spot on the Cumberland 30 yards across a little dirt road is a elevated plateau about 2 acres in size.
Full of BlackBerry briars
Debtiage feild leads right to it.
Almost like what I am hunting is the dump for eons and that plateau
Was the long term habitated spot
Myself and a neighbor have dug a little
1st couple shovels I came up with a busted up dovetail base.
Pita digging. Dont care for it.
Now if I had a backhoe and a big ole flat bed trailer and if the owner would allow it.
I would load yards of dirt and wash that down.

But that ain't happening.

Depends on the tribe and their beliefs. But, yes. It's been done.

Some later Indians would rework points and blades from earlier ones.

I'll add a pic

It was highly valued and prized type of tool material among early native Americans.

and another

Two headed snake

this stuff is every where.....if you know where to look

Bet that guy was pissed when he went to get his bowling ball and that two headed snake was coiled up around it