Everything you always wanted to know about where to look for arrowheads but were afraid to ask! In this video I point out the types of settings most likely to have artifacts on the surface.
I found one when I was dating my ex wife, in their 2 acre asparagus field, behind their house. It was about 2.5 inches long, and something I had never seen before, it had tiny teeth nicked onto the entire cutting edge. This was in the spring, after her dad had run his tractor with a disc attachment behind it. He did this before the asparagus started to come up, to cut down on some of the weeds. I kept that arrowhead for several years, but one day my ex took it to show someone. She stuck it in her jeans pocket, and forgot about it. A run through the washer and dryer, and good bye to all the tiny teeth around the edge of the thing. Of course, I was sick about it. It made a unique piece into a plain thing that are everywhere. She has that arrowhead, along with my old coins and stuff. But the one thing she kept that I know is of value was a painting done by a native of Togo, Africa of people back in the early, early days down by the river, doing their daily work. I gave a missionary to Togo a bunch of ham radio equipment and he gifted me that painting. I tried to get it, but she would not give it to me, and I was too nice at the time.
I have found a large handful, maybe 30-40, and am starting to give them to my grandkids. Once I found a lovely white hunting point when I was crawling around in the grass looking for a lost arrow. The best place to find them was a tilled farm field on what had been an island in a small lake. Also found pottery shards and buffalo teeth there. That place is now a state wildlife management area and completely grown over. Each of my arrowheads has a story that I will never know.
In all of the various Indian languages, I wonder how many of them have phrases similar to “Where did that #*%@$& arrow go?” or “There was a wind gust as soon I loosed, I swear!”
The place I found to get points are small elevations that have a view of grazing areas. People would set and rest while observing the area for game. While there they would check their arrows for damage and discard any broken points. I would seldom find perfect points, but as they were real picky, I often would find ones that were still quite nice. This was quite productive in Nevada, western Colorado, Idaho and like places.
Back when they used to plow corn fields I always walked the rows. I always found arrow heads. Then walk them again after a rain. I had a lot of them and gave many away. Then over the years I don't know what happened to them. I probably have eight or ten in a box. Also, some tools made from stone.
Yeah, we had a sandy area on our property that was perfect for finding arrowheads. Like after plowing and then even better after the first rain after that. Some were 1-2 inches and some were as small as 3/8 inch. I figure that the area likely never had trees 'cause of the hill and the sand, so was always a meadow...great for hunting deer and other critters. Trees all around but not at the rise, so lots of arrows over the years. My parents have all the ones we found as kids. Probably a few hundred.
I used to hunt for projectile points and tools as well. Some were 'gimmes' fully exposed and waiting to be picked up and found. Others only had the chiseled worked surfaces catching attention and being dug out.
Slopes where water courses over and wind allowed free access to the surface makes searching a bit easier. In our area, broken snail shells indicated a place where people congregated and often made their tools. At gullys where water flowed during rain events, points could be found where water pooled up and slowed down.
University of Arizona is home to the State Museum. It is the old library. A literal entire building full of bones, metates, arrow and spear points, and everything else one could imagine. All stacked away, most likely never to be seen by the public, ever...
If you are ever in Amarillo again you should head up to Lake Meredith, there is a fint quarry there at Alibates landing...its like an arrowhead production site from way back when.
I’ve got my share, but my prize is a 6” obsidian knife I found while crawling on my belly through underbrush at the top of Mt. Diablo in CoCo County, CA. Totally unexpected and I always figured it was lost there by a local crawling on their belly many, many moons ago.
I was a boy walking through Grandpa's corn field with an uncle and he pointed out my first point, and I found another right away in the same field. Over the years there has been a few more. This area has a rich Hopewell and Adana heritage, lots of mounds throughout southern Ohio and lots of settlements along the Ohio river and lots of items are being washed off the bank into the river. This guy https://youtu.be/EQvkStpBA3Q?si=RUvSms4ZAwgp_be0 is in my area and he's pretty knowledgeable about the subject. He's always finding something.
Easy pickins on Rocky Fork Creek in Ohio about 1966. Still have my box of arrowheads. Rocky Fork is a damn state park now. It used to be a dusty turn out in the road to a left turn.
Part of my misspent youth involved sitting in freshly plowed (shade) tobacco fields in north-central CT hunting quail and pheasant by the river with dads 20g Stevens. If a field was freshly turned, you could spend a few minutes looking for arrowheads. Never found anything, but it was fun....
"Never found anything, but it was fun...." I do that every day in my house, my garage, my little shed, my big shed... I wish I could summon your attitude.
Hi Kenny, I Grew up in S/E La., down South of where you're at!! On the north side of Lake Pontchartrain and Maurepas!!! What we call the "Florida Parsishes.. Anyway, lots of Farms .. after a rain, go walk the rows, you will find them .... everywhere around here.. I have the collection my Grandfather found on our "DIRT!!" .... PRICELESS!!!! skybill
Hi Kenny, Got the collection from the homestead DIRT here in Hammond La. Grandpa found them fter he planted the strawberries and it rained.. walking thru the rows the "Heds" were on top of the washed away dirt!! I STILL HAVE THEM!!!!' skybill
The missus and I were cleaning out her aunt's house after she died and found an Aboriginal stone hand ax in one of her suitcases. The old lady was a bit of a rock hound, apparently.
in eastern KY hills there where some small limestone caves carved out of rocks. according to my one cousin they where used by Indians back in the day so to speak. found a few chipped rocks like items but I have no idea what happen to them. we where squirrel hunting at the time. a very long time ago now. mid to late 1960's anything I might have had like that was taken by "my kids" over 20 years ago now anyway. dave in pa.
The bluffs around Monterey and Livingston would be some of the closest places to you. Also walking the river banks while water is down for fall and winter. If any one asks you are looking for lost fishing tackle.
Found a beautiful small scrapper in a farmer's field near Huron River (the farmer would let us look after chisel plow and then after disk plow). He wasn't surprised as Kent SU had dug thru it and determined it was a summer encampment used they believed by Hopewell. They had even found remnants of some wooden structure. Lake Erie Pike was well documented as a great food fish and they may have come for foods not found in Mid/Southern Ohio. Also a good barter item. Found a number of things, but the scrapper was special to me.
While in Western PA (west of Sharon) a local told us to go to the reservoir as they had just lowered it (apparently this is to prevent flooding after winter snows melt). My friend and I thought, why not. Talk about mucky. My shoes looked like the ones Peter Boyle wore in a Young Frankenstein. 10 minutes later, I found a nutting stone! Of course walking out with it was a challenge as my shoes were now there times larger than when I started.
I found one when I was dating my ex wife, in their 2 acre asparagus field, behind their house. It was about 2.5 inches long, and something I had never seen before, it had tiny teeth nicked onto the entire cutting edge. This was in the spring, after her dad had run his tractor with a disc attachment behind it. He did this before the asparagus started to come up, to cut down on some of the weeds.
ReplyDeleteI kept that arrowhead for several years, but one day my ex took it to show someone. She stuck it in her jeans pocket, and forgot about it. A run through the washer and dryer, and good bye to all the tiny teeth around the edge of the thing. Of course, I was sick about it. It made a unique piece into a plain thing that are everywhere.
She has that arrowhead, along with my old coins and stuff. But the one thing she kept that I know is of value was a painting done by a native of Togo, Africa of people back in the early, early days down by the river, doing their daily work. I gave a missionary to Togo a bunch of ham radio equipment and he gifted me that painting. I tried to get it, but she would not give it to me, and I was too nice at the time.
I have found a large handful, maybe 30-40, and am starting to give them to my grandkids. Once I found a lovely white hunting point when I was crawling around in the grass looking for a lost arrow. The best place to find them was a tilled farm field on what had been an island in a small lake. Also found pottery shards and buffalo teeth there. That place is now a state wildlife management area and completely grown over. Each of my arrowheads has a story that I will never know.
ReplyDeleteNo finding arrow heads around here but it would be cool to find them I reckon
ReplyDeletemost arrowheads are really spearpoints. not trying to be a smartass.
ReplyDeleteIn all of the various Indian languages, I wonder how many of them have phrases similar to “Where did that #*%@$& arrow go?” or “There was a wind gust as soon I loosed, I swear!”
ReplyDeleteThe place I found to get points are small elevations that have a view of grazing areas. People would set and rest while observing the area for game. While there they would check their arrows for damage and discard any broken points. I would seldom find perfect points, but as they were real picky, I often would find ones that were still quite nice. This was quite productive in Nevada, western Colorado, Idaho and like places.
ReplyDeleteBack when they used to plow corn fields I always walked the rows. I always found arrow heads. Then walk them again after a rain. I had a lot of them and gave many away. Then over the years I don't know what happened to them. I probably have eight or ten in a box. Also, some tools made from stone.
ReplyDeleteYeah, we had a sandy area on our property that was perfect for finding arrowheads. Like after plowing and then even better after the first rain after that. Some were 1-2 inches and some were as small as 3/8 inch.
DeleteI figure that the area likely never had trees 'cause of the hill and the sand, so was always a meadow...great for hunting deer and other critters. Trees all around but not at the rise, so lots of arrows over the years.
My parents have all the ones we found as kids. Probably a few hundred.
I used to hunt for projectile points and tools as well. Some were 'gimmes' fully exposed and waiting to be picked up and found. Others only had the chiseled worked surfaces catching attention and being dug out.
DeleteSlopes where water courses over and wind allowed free access to the surface makes searching a bit easier. In our area, broken snail shells indicated a place where people congregated and often made their tools. At gullys where water flowed during rain events, points could be found where water pooled up and slowed down.
University of Arizona is home to the State Museum. It is the old library. A literal entire building full of bones, metates, arrow and spear points, and everything else one could imagine. All stacked away, most likely never to be seen by the public, ever...
ReplyDeleteSad really.
Tom762
If you are ever in Amarillo again you should head up to Lake Meredith, there is a fint quarry there at Alibates landing...its like an arrowhead production site from way back when.
ReplyDeleteI’ve got my share, but my prize is a 6” obsidian knife I found while crawling on my belly through underbrush at the top of Mt. Diablo in CoCo County, CA. Totally unexpected and I always figured it was lost there by a local crawling on their belly many, many moons ago.
ReplyDeleteI was a boy walking through Grandpa's corn field with an uncle and he pointed out my first point, and I found another right away in the same field. Over the years there has been a few more. This area has a rich Hopewell and Adana heritage, lots of mounds throughout southern Ohio and lots of settlements along the Ohio river and lots of items are being washed off the bank into the river.
ReplyDeleteThis guy https://youtu.be/EQvkStpBA3Q?si=RUvSms4ZAwgp_be0 is in my area and he's pretty knowledgeable about the subject. He's always finding something.
Easy pickins on Rocky Fork Creek in Ohio about 1966. Still have my box of arrowheads. Rocky Fork is a damn state park now. It used to be a dusty turn out in the road to a left turn.
ReplyDeletePart of my misspent youth involved sitting in freshly plowed (shade) tobacco fields in north-central CT hunting quail and pheasant by the river with dads 20g Stevens. If a field was freshly turned, you could spend a few minutes looking for arrowheads. Never found anything, but it was fun....
ReplyDelete"Never found anything, but it was fun...." I do that every day in my house, my garage, my little shed, my big shed... I wish I could summon your attitude.
DeleteI'm getting closer to that age too...but not there just yet. Hopefully it'll be fun when I finally do.
DeleteThe 80's were a much simpler time than now (at least that's how I console myself).
Hi Kenny,
ReplyDeleteI Grew up in S/E La., down South of where you're at!! On the north side of Lake Pontchartrain and Maurepas!!! What we call the "Florida Parsishes.. Anyway, lots of Farms .. after a rain, go walk the rows, you will find them .... everywhere around here.. I have the collection my Grandfather found on our "DIRT!!" .... PRICELESS!!!!
skybill
Hi Kenny,
ReplyDeleteGot the collection from the homestead DIRT here in Hammond La. Grandpa found them fter he planted the strawberries and it rained.. walking thru the rows the "Heds" were on top of the washed away dirt!!
I STILL HAVE THEM!!!!'
skybill
The missus and I were cleaning out her aunt's house after she died and found an Aboriginal stone hand ax in one of her suitcases. The old lady was a bit of a rock hound, apparently.
ReplyDeletein eastern KY hills there where some small limestone caves carved out of rocks. according to my one cousin they where used by Indians back in the day so to speak. found a few chipped rocks like items but I have no idea what happen to them. we where squirrel hunting at the time. a very long time ago now. mid to late 1960's anything I might have had like that was taken by "my kids" over 20 years ago now anyway. dave in pa.
ReplyDeleteThe bluffs around Monterey and Livingston would be some of the closest places to you. Also walking the river banks while water is down for fall and winter. If any one asks you are looking for lost fishing tackle.
ReplyDeleteYou should know that now it is illegal to pick up arrow points or other Indian artifacts.
ReplyDeleteWhat the fuck isn't these days.
DeleteFarmers in San Joachin valley used to disc up lots of relics many years back. The word on the farm was, shovel and shut up.
ReplyDeleteOf course! It's a "free country". That which is not prohibited is mandatory.
ReplyDeleteFound a beautiful small scrapper in a farmer's field near Huron River (the farmer would let us look after chisel plow and then after disk plow). He wasn't surprised as Kent SU had dug thru it and determined it was a summer encampment used they believed by Hopewell. They had even found remnants of some wooden structure. Lake Erie Pike was well documented as a great food fish and they may have come for foods not found in Mid/Southern Ohio. Also a good barter item. Found a number of things, but the scrapper was special to me.
ReplyDeleteWhile in Western PA (west of Sharon) a local told us to go to the reservoir as they had just lowered it (apparently this is to prevent flooding after winter snows melt). My friend and I thought, why not. Talk about mucky. My shoes looked like the ones Peter Boyle wore in a Young Frankenstein. 10 minutes later, I found a nutting stone! Of course walking out with it was a challenge as my shoes were now there times larger than when I started.
ReplyDelete