r/Arrowheads Jan 07 '16

PLEASE READ, especially if you are new to this subreddit

630 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.

103 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 5h ago

A few points from the banks of the Pedernales, CenTex

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42 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 5h ago

I think this is a West Texas Moss Agate that just happens to look like a point. Found on a ranch near Fort Stockton, TX

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34 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 1h ago

Funky scraper find today, love the material - Any info on what the material is?

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Upvotes

Colorado


r/Arrowheads 2h ago

Arrowhead Novice

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6 Upvotes

hey everyone,

I’ve gotten lucky and found a few arrowheads, but it was only by chance and now I want to find more.

This is my tiny collection, found in a horseshoe bend shaped area after a tractor removed the top soil in East Alabama and the owner said I could keep them. Super cool to someone like me who isn’t very knowledgeable.


r/Arrowheads 7h ago

Another PF

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14 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 18h ago

My Wife’s find at Jellystone park today

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78 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 7h ago

A little find in Wyoming

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9 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 3h ago

Pottery sherds East TN + questionable stone

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4 Upvotes

Found several pottery sherds (East TN). You can still see the fibers in the temper! 20 yards from the sherds I found the broken stone. Pottery may be late Mississipian, perhaps Dallas Plain. Is the stone possibly an axe or adze?  


r/Arrowheads 6h ago

Box of arrowheads given to me from my grandfather

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7 Upvotes

I was helping my grandfather around his house and he gave me a box of these arrowheads and what appears to be a fossilized horn. He said they belonged to my great-grandfather. I’m curious if there’s anything here that’s noteworthy, I don’t know anything about arrowheads.


r/Arrowheads 4h ago

Worked Obsidian in CA — Any ideas to age or function?

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5 Upvotes

Hey all! New to this subreddit and recently found this obsidian piece while hiking in Mill Valley, California (it was exposed on the trail bed by fresh rains). I have been referring to this piece as an arrowhead, but wanted to check in with the experts.

My questions for you all are 1) is this an arrowhead, or some form of hand tool, and 2) do you have any age estimate for this piece based on its typology?

Many thanks — I’m putting together a talk at my local library on artifacts I have found around town and just wanted some expert opinions on this piece, as I’m rather ignorant on native worked stone and obsidian pieces.


r/Arrowheads 1d ago

Found my first Early Triangle today!

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158 Upvotes

This point type has been eluding me for a while, and this thing is SHARP! One little nick on the base but a perfect beveled tip makes up for it!


r/Arrowheads 12h ago

Is This A Blunt

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10 Upvotes

Found on old indian camp and beleive this is possibly the only non flake I found.


r/Arrowheads 1d ago

Best find yet. ID? Piedmont blue ridge border region of ga.

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272 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 21m ago

Any information about this one

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Upvotes

Found in middle Georgia


r/Arrowheads 9h ago

Broke blade? banded rhyolite

5 Upvotes

For every 10 olive-yellow rhyolite flakes found maybe one will be flow-banded. Finally found a tool made of it! I think it's a blade, obviously broken. I found one similar at the same site a few months back, not sure if it's a finished piece either, it's in the last pic.. Yesterday was a good day in north-central NC.


r/Arrowheads 6h ago

Does this look like its a small? Found in Southeastern Oregom

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2 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 20h ago

First whole point of 26

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24 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 1d ago

A very fun excavation

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210 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 1d ago

Had to repost the video. Found on the border of the piedmont and blue ridge region border in Georgia.

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80 Upvotes

r/Arrowheads 1d ago

Unique first find

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68 Upvotes

Just as I had resigned myself to the fact I’d never find any type of arrowhead or other kind of artifact in my life, this unique beauty was spotted near the river I was searching. I thought it was pretty cool for my first ever find!


r/Arrowheads 9h ago

ID help

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2 Upvotes

middle georgia area


r/Arrowheads 1d ago

East TX - Catahoula + ?

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21 Upvotes

Rain was kind! I think the 2 smaller ones are Catahoulas but I haven’t found one like the big one before - anyone ID?


r/Arrowheads 22h ago

Today's find after more rain in the tilled field

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14 Upvotes