Arrowhead and other historic/pre-historic collections

[hillrunner]

Well, I may have finally found something, I think. I found this today while putting up an electric fence around a food plot. This is in Iowa's Loess hills where we have zero rocks, which is why it caught my eye.

It has tooling marks all over it. There is an indent that fits my thumb and one up top that fits my finger. The back has tooling marks and looks to be intentionally angled to fit my palm. Can someone tell me if I've got something here?e

 

[Mozark]

Well, I may have finally found something, I think. I found this today while putting up an electric fence around a food plot. This is in Iowa's Loess hills where we have zero rocks, which is why it caught my eye.

It has tooling marks all over it. There is an indent that fits my thumb and one up top that fits my finger. The back has tooling marks and looks to be intentionally angled to fit my palm. Can someone tell me if I've got something here?View attachment 43202View attachment 43203eView attachment 43204View attachment 43205View attachment 43206View attachment 43207View attachment 43208

If you hold it how it naturally fits in your hand and the opposite end (away from your hand) is pitted, rough, and chipped, then it is likely a hammerstone. The tooling marks look like strikes from plows, disc, etc. Great find!

 

[Buckly]

I was going to say, looks like it was run over with something like a disk.

 

[hillrunner]

Yes, it

If you hold it how it naturally fits in your hand and the opposite end (away from your hand) is pitted, rough, and chipped, then it is likely a hammerstone. The tooling marks look like strikes from plows, disc, etc. Great find!

Yes, it has divots and small chunks missing on what would be the business end of it. In order for all the marks to be from equipment , this 4 inch rock would have to have been hit dozens of times from different angles not only on both side sides but also on the narrow sides. I don't think that's probable.
I'm absolutely ignorant about stone tools and it's hard to show in a picture what I see in my hand but I can't come up with another reasonably explanation. There are no natural rocks in the leoss hills, this was brought here by someone.

 

[Mortenson]

Drop the post hole auger in a few spots around there and see what else comes up!

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I'm not an expert, but I believe you have found a rock.

It is pretty rare to pick up a rock in my field that doesn't have multiple similar scratches on them from being run over by various types of farm equipment.

 

[hillrunner]

I'm not an expert, but I believe you have found a rock.

It is pretty rare to pick up a rock in my field that doesn't have multiple similar scratches on them from being run over by various types of farm equipment.

I agree that many of the scratches are likely from equipment.
It's hard to show in pictures but there is tooling and shaping done beyond the obvious scratches. Out of curiosity I sent an email with several pictures to the state archeology department. His opinion was that it's a hammer stone.

 

[bwoods11]

That’s a cool find Brad!

 

[Mortenson]

Congrats on finding an artifact that you were hoping for! I know how hard it is to make aspects show up in a pic that are plain as day in hand. Got any spots around there where it would work to run a plow for an acre or two? Might pay off.

We haven't found any more arrowheads yet this year. Gathered up the other interesting pieces of flint and possibly a few "scrapers" from this year. Bottom center is what I'm guessing might be flint ridge chert, which also isn't from around here. It's real purty.

 

[Hoytvectrix]

Congrats on finding an artifact that you were hoping for! I know how hard it is to make aspects show up in a pic that are plain as day in hand. Got any spots around there where it would work to run a plow for an acre or two? Might pay off.

We haven't found any more arrowheads yet this year. Gathered up the other interesting pieces of flint and possibly a few "scrapers" from this year. Bottom center is what I'm guessing might be flint ridge chert, which also isn't from around here. It's real purty.

View attachment 43317

Quite a bit of diversity in source material there! Two of our fields were just tilled and then planted. We also just got some rain today. I'm hoping to find some this weekend.

 

[H20fwler]

Youngest son just found this one.

 

[bigbendmarine]

Point I found on my place in North Florida while casting seed out for one of my initial food plots. Best guess is a South Prong Creek point or a Kirk serrated, but sure welcome feedback from anybody on here if they have a strong opinion. I'll be the first to quickly share I'm no expert at all.

 

[Mozark]

Point I found on my place in North Florida while casting seed out for one of my initial food plots. Best guess is a South Prong Creek point or a Kirk serrated, but sure welcome feedback from anybody on here if they have a strong opinion. I'll be the first to quickly share I'm no expert at all.

View attachment 43803

I think your right with South Prong Creek, serrated points are killer. Great find!

 

[Mortenson]

That's a cool point bigbend! I'd agree it looks spot on...

South Prong Creek Projectile Point

Description of the South Prong Creek Point

www.projectilepoints.net

 

[Mortenson]

Finally got a few more points. We didn't get our best spot planted til Memorial Day, and it's barely rained since then, so it's been tough looking there. Waiting on a hard rain to flatten the soil. I spotted one that'll be another top 5 personal find. It's in perfect shape, but made totally crooked. Maybe a rework? Not sure what type yet, thinking it resembles big sandy and godar type points. Any thoughts Mozark? Close up shown with those other turtle back scrapers and flake knife found a few weeks ago.

 

[Mozark]

Congrats on a great find! Im not too familiar with either type, I would say Big Sandy would be a good match. The basal thinning looks early, similar to Daltons.

 

[Mortenson]

What kind of luck have you guys been having? The kids and I have hit a few of the fall chisel plowed fields before they get worked once for spring planting. We picked up sticks today and then went for an Easter Day hunt. Chris had a good day, finding 3 artifacts.

 

[Catscratch]

What kind of luck have you guys been having? The kids and I have hit a few of the fall chisel plowed fields before they get worked once for spring planting. We picked up sticks today and then went for an Easter Day hunt. Chris had a good day, finding 3 artifacts.

Cool!

 

[Hoytvectrix]

One of the streams moving through the new farm has produced a few so far. We are anxiously waiting for a few of the fields to be cultivated for the first time in decades.

 

[Mozark]

What kind of luck have you guys been having? The kids and I have hit a few of the fall chisel plowed fields before they get worked once for spring planting. We picked up sticks today and then went for an Easter Day hunt. Chris had a good day, finding 3 artifacts.

Mort, please tell Chris congrats on a great find! Been working really hard trying to finish the home orchard, hopefully I can get out and hit some creeks late this week.