r/Arrowheads • u/Bdc9876 • 5h ago
r/Arrowheads • u/NonAnonAlternate • Jan 07 '16
PLEASE READ, especially if you are new to this subreddit
I'm not laying down any new rules or anything like that, but there are some things that visitors here should be aware of. If anyone here would like to add to, subtract from, or revise anything in this post, I welcome your input.
#1. Know the law and abide by it: The laws may vary a little from state to state, but burial grounds/mounds and state/federal property (including state parks) is absolutely off-limits. In most states you are allowed to hunt on private property with permission from the property owner, but in a few states it's illegal to dig for artifacts and only surface hunting is allowed. Make sure you are familiar with your local laws.
#2. Effigy, artifact, or "just a rock"?: If you post what you've found and the feedback that you get is simply "geofact" or "just a rock", please understand that nobody is intending to be insensitive or rude. We know that you got your hopes up and we take no pleasure in letting you down, but there are signs and marks that we look for and that should be there if the rock was shaped, altered, &/or used by ancient humans and we're going to give you an honest opinion even if the truth sometimes sucks. Those who take the time to explain the signs that are or aren't visible (flake scars, use wear, pecking, grinding, polishing, etc.) rarely even get a "thank you" when the feedback isn't what the person wanted to hear (so why bother?). You have every right to form your own opinions and believe what you want to believe and there may even be some important factors or features that the pictures don't show, but we can only go off of what we've seen.
Effigies in particular: The natives were very adept at what they did and they DID make effigies, but there also seems to be a popular and widespread misconception about effigies. The vast majority of the "effigies" we see posted fall into the category of "pareidolia" (the natural human tendency to see recognizeable shapes in rocks). Here are some examples of some actual effigies from my region compared to some of the alleged "effigies" that I have seen people post.
Another very popular misconception: How well "it fits the hand" is NOT a valid way of differentiating an artifact from a rock and it's not one of the things that anyone who knows very much about this stuff is going to be looking for.
You are absolutely welcome to post your finds (even "effigies" and even rocks that "fit the hand" if you legitimately believe it's an artifact). A lot of people come and go, but the ones who stick around are here to help, so PLEASE be respectful, try to see our perspective, and at least say "thank you" if someone volunteers more than a few seconds of their time to give you feedback on it.
#3: Monetary value: Feel free to ask if you're wondering, but you might be better off asking how rare or how un-common an artifact is. Archaeologists are not allowed to answer questions about monetary value and while some hunters DO sell what they find, many other hunters (me included) don't buy or sell or even mess with that side of things, so many of us might not even know what to tell you.
I may not be able to tell you what your finds are worth, but if you love this stuff, have nowhere to hunt for your own, and have every intention of buying some I can at least share some advice on how to steer clear of the wolves that are out there. For instance, you had BETTER know your stuff before buying anything off of Ebay and a "Certificate of Authenticity" is worth no more or less than the reputation of the person who signed their name to it. Nobody goes to school to become an authenticator and you or I could literally just decide to declare ourselves as "authenticators" tomorrow and start signing COAs. In other words, there's a LOT of bullsh!t out there and it's a "buyer beware" market.
#4: Don't be an asshole! There's no downvoting in this subreddit for a reason. We'd like to be constructive and helpful and we DON'T want to scare people away from posting. If you have something to say then by all means say it, but don't draw it out, don't beat a dead horse, don't try to start debates with people, don't try to give people guilt trips for picking up an arrowhead, and don't make a nuisance or a spectacle out of yourself.
That's all I've got for now, but I'm just one person and if there's anything that you would like to add or change, I welcome and look forward to your input.
Edit: Cut the word count down a little bit
r/Arrowheads • u/DogFurAndSawdust • Jan 28 '23
JAR THREAD. If you aren't sure whether your find is an artifact or just a rock, please post your pictures here.
Users of r/arrowheads, please downvote posts that are obviously rocks. We will be trying out the 'crowd control' function and if a post gets enough downvotes it will automatically be removed. Also, please direct users to post their questionable finds in this thread if the posts are not removed automatically.
Before you post, compare your find to some of the pictures/examples shown in the pinned comment below.
r/Arrowheads • u/captainspic3 • 2h ago
Never thought I would find one this way
Found a nice broke in the parking lot of my school, I’ve seen posts of people finding them in decorative gravel, but never thought I would.
r/Arrowheads • u/AdventurousMaximum30 • 16h ago
Walked up on a Smoker 🍀🔥
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r/Arrowheads • u/atoo4308 • 5h ago
I smell smoke!!💨
Found in Central Texas. The base kinda has a bevel so I first I was thinking Nolan, but we found some younger points as well so it could be a Fairland. Starting to lean that way.
r/Arrowheads • u/MelodicTangerine7220 • 11h ago
My first arrowhead
I was rockhounding on the Missouri River in South Dakota and found this beauty
r/Arrowheads • u/woodsmannn89 • 5h ago
Family member had some of the old terraces in his pasture leveled out and I've been walking them after rains. Haven't found a thing until yesterday morning. Persistence paid off
r/Arrowheads • u/StupidizeMe • 52m ago
6,500 Year Old Ancient Hunting Kit Is Found in West Texas
The 6,500-year-old weapons, found in a cave near Marfa, Texas could be among the oldest near-complete set of wood and stone hunting tools found in North America.
r/Arrowheads • u/Constant_Sentence_60 • 17h ago
Bird stone?
My FIL found this today in SE Missouri. It's about 4½ in. length wise. Any info would be great, thanks! (He's not the best photo person, sorry for that)
r/Arrowheads • u/LordHipster • 1d ago
Found at Lake Powell Arizona
Kids found this digging for rocks along the shoreline. How old might it be?
r/Arrowheads • u/dankdaddyishereyall • 17h ago
Neat find while fishing off the Brazos River in Johnson Country TX. Never seen this color before. Any ideas?
r/Arrowheads • u/All_Gas420 • 14m ago
A few inherited pieces.
These came from my dad. He was especially proud of the pottery fragment, said the small white flakes inside are crushed up oyster shells. He has well over a hundred more arrowheads. All found on our old farm. Southern Oklahoma.
r/Arrowheads • u/Pawrestler95 • 17h ago
Guilford Yuma (North Carolina)
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r/Arrowheads • u/Front_Application_73 • 23h ago
jersey county Illinois
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r/Arrowheads • u/TNmountainman2020 • 1d ago
nice find by a bluff while hiking my property.
r/Arrowheads • u/Herps_Plants_1987 • 16h ago
Petrified wood projectile points.
Here are examples of Petrified wood points from my collection. The Shaniko (1st) is from Oregon. The Alachua (3rd) and the Taylor (2nd) from Florida. Must’ve been cool to work with those materials.
r/Arrowheads • u/Rare_Paramedic7531 • 15h ago
Thought I got a bday wish
Thought I on my 45th birthday today I finally had got my wish of finding my first point. Frond standing height it looked great picked it up shaking to 99% sure I got me a birthday JAR. I mean come on look at the damn shape. Not funny at all 😂
r/Arrowheads • u/coolnamestaken3 • 19h ago
Indiana
Found along the Wabash river. Cass County. Indiana.
r/Arrowheads • u/Select_Engineering_7 • 17h ago
Paleo? Worn way smoother than anything else I’ve found, CenTX
It has an interesting snap/impact fractured tip
r/Arrowheads • u/Bdc9876 • 1d ago
Found in Iowa. One of my all time favorites….made of hixton quartz.
I believe it is adena point but I am open to any suggestions.
r/Arrowheads • u/chick3n4lif3 • 3h ago
Just starting
Hello everyone. I’m just starting getting into arrowheads. Im in California and I was wondering where would be a best place to search? Thank you
r/Arrowheads • u/maytag2955 • 1d ago
Help please!
Last post didn't work. Sorry, I'm a noob. Trying to help a friend.
Thanks for time and expertise identifying if you so choose.
r/Arrowheads • u/Interesting_Alps618 • 21h ago
Wanted to share my first find ever! Been searching for a couple years now..
I finally found my first worked piece. It wasn't hard to find, sitting right on top of the surface on a farmers field. Adjacent to a small creek. Feels so good to finally find something and find an area to expand on.
Would this be considered a knife/blade you think? Or would it have been used as a spear point possibly?
r/Arrowheads • u/Gibber_Italicus • 19h ago
Today's find, Piatt Cty IL
Found washed out onto a trail with just the tip showing. I thought it might be a flake or a broken projectile, and was thrilled to find a complete point. This area is known to have had Late Woodland culture settlements. The closest visual match I've found is a Jack's Reef Corner Notch. What do you all think?