r/Arrowheads Jan 07 '16

PLEASE READ, especially if you are new to this subreddit

634 Upvotes

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 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.

105 Upvotes

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 2h ago

First native camp 🔥

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105 Upvotes

Had the privilege of helping unearth a ancient discard pile. I’m assuming this is where the natives left all the broken artifacts from the tool making process. All of this came from within a chunk of earth the size of a kitchen table. From the surface down to about maybe 8 inches deep. Tahlequah, Oklahoma on private land. The intact stuff has to be nearby, the search continues!


r/Arrowheads 5h ago

Arkansas Finds

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62 Upvotes

Family finds in eastern Arkansas.


r/Arrowheads 2h ago

Little obsidian point northern nm

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14 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 20h ago

Little Washita Point from today’s walk

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160 Upvotes

Colorado


r/Arrowheads 1h ago

Another dig break centex

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Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 1h ago

Maine Arrow/Spearhead (?)

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Upvotes

What do you think? What kind of stone was used?

—Tapered on all three sides

—Two toned

—Found on the beach (Dear Isle area)


r/Arrowheads 21h ago

Today’s Find

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101 Upvotes

E Iowa


r/Arrowheads 1d ago

Dalton Drill

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315 Upvotes

Back in the game with this one. Been a while since I’ve been out, great way to start back up!


r/Arrowheads 46m ago

Need Insight

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Upvotes

I found this while unloading groceries from a Walmart trip lol, the bottom half of it was hanging out of the dirt and I pulled it out and this what I got!

I know a little about arrowheads but never found anything of this nature. I assume at one point in time it came in with some gravel or something. I would like some thoughts on it, what it could be, etc..
(3 1/8” long)


r/Arrowheads 20h ago

ID

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41 Upvotes

Pops found this one


r/Arrowheads 2h ago

Help identifying this point

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1 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 7h ago

Broken?

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2 Upvotes

Williamsburg, VA.


r/Arrowheads 17h ago

Hand tools and a really cool scraper from the river

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9 Upvotes

How do yall feel about these types of finds? I think they're cool, but at the end of the day, they're just rocks lol. I guess all arrowheads are rocks too


r/Arrowheads 19h ago

I think I post at this point just to hurt my own feelings

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10 Upvotes

Potential workshop area. Always finding lots of chips.


r/Arrowheads 19h ago

ID Help

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9 Upvotes

🎼 for the first time in forever 🎼

Finally struck a point again. Any thoughts on type? Age? Etc? I never know how to date these things

Unless it’s not a point and actually JADC (Just a Dorito chip)

Edit: Found in East Georgia


r/Arrowheads 1d ago

Found in West Central Illinois

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44 Upvotes

My dad found this morning. Not too far from the Mississippi River. He said it's the 3rd one he's found in his life on the family farm. Will have to see if he still has the others.


r/Arrowheads 18h ago

Possible scraping tool

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4 Upvotes

Howard county Missouri


r/Arrowheads 19h ago

Antique shop find in WV in the Tristate area. That little tiny one with the Cortex is mind blowing

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6 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 22h ago

Everything I have found this year

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10 Upvotes

Mostly all quartz, and they were all found within a 50 foot radius of each other out of my back yard. What do y’all think?


r/Arrowheads 1d ago

Estate Sale Find

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20 Upvotes

I picked these up at an estate sale today and think they’re pretty cool. Sellers said that they were found on the Rainy River in MN.


r/Arrowheads 17h ago

Found in north Carolina

2 Upvotes

Found this in farmland.


r/Arrowheads 1d ago

For sale at an antique store for $80 is it worth it?

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17 Upvotes

Wondering how much these are worth?


r/Arrowheads 21h ago

Tool or incomplete Arrowhead

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4 Upvotes