STOP! - Arrowhead Collecting On The Web
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ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
Welcome To<br />
www.<strong>Arrowhead</strong><strong>Collecting</strong><strong>On</strong><strong>The</strong><strong>Web</strong>.com<br />
Volume I, Number 7 November 2009<br />
A Special Feature Of This Issue Is Our Side-By-Side<br />
Comparison Of Ancient And Modern-Made <strong>Arrowhead</strong>s.<br />
Thank you for subscribing to<br />
our newsletter, “<strong>Arrowhead</strong><br />
<strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong>”.<br />
I hope you enjoyed the sixth<br />
edition, Volume I, Number 6, of<br />
our digital on-line newsletter,<br />
the October, 2009 issue.<br />
“<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Web</strong>” provides an on-going<br />
series of articles and graphic<br />
presentations of information<br />
related to the many different<br />
aspects of finding and learning<br />
about the relics of previous<br />
cultures which remain to be<br />
found today.<br />
This seventh edition addresses<br />
the following topics:<br />
• How long have people been<br />
using the land where we<br />
live? <strong>On</strong>e reader’s Grandfather<br />
assembled a collection<br />
in their part of Nebraska<br />
which reaches back in time<br />
for over 300 generations.<br />
Her collection includes every<br />
major cultural design of<br />
hunting weapon since Clovis<br />
hunters tracked the now<br />
extinct species of giant bison<br />
and other megafauna at the<br />
end of the Ice Age. ACOTW<br />
is privileged to share a look<br />
at this amazing collection.<br />
• How can we tell the<br />
difference between ancient<br />
arrowheads and modernmade<br />
reproductions? We<br />
will look at several ancient<br />
points and compare similar,<br />
If your Grandfather put together a collection of arrowheads and other artifacts<br />
from the region where he lived, and you even had the opportunity to help him<br />
find some of the points in that collection, and then you inherited that collection<br />
from him, you should look at that collection carefully and see what is included.<br />
For instance, one of our readers has sent in a number of photographs of items<br />
from her Grandfather’s collection, which she helped assemble. Check out the<br />
some of the exceptional, ancient hunting artifacts which he found and documented,<br />
in her collection today. (Pages 5-7 in this issue.)<br />
but modern, arrowheads to<br />
view several aspects of<br />
knapped material which can<br />
help us separate authentic<br />
ancient points from modern<br />
“flint knapping” handiwork.<br />
(This begins a series of articles<br />
on this critical subject.)<br />
• How did you get the “bug”<br />
to collect arrowheads? (<strong>On</strong>e<br />
of our readers suggested, and<br />
contributed to get the ball<br />
rolling, a series of articles from<br />
readers to share the beginnings<br />
of this fascinating obsession.)<br />
(continued...)
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
Our editorial objective is to<br />
help our readers become longterm,<br />
even serious collectors of<br />
arrowheads, over the years to<br />
come. <strong>The</strong>re are several things<br />
which we hope to accomplish<br />
for you in this process:<br />
• Help you find new points<br />
and understand what it is<br />
that you are finding;<br />
• Help you to learn about all<br />
the different aspects of<br />
collecting;<br />
• Help you to recognize the<br />
different kinds and styles of<br />
collectable arrowheads and<br />
other implements;<br />
• Help you to understand<br />
about the life ways of the<br />
cultures represented by the<br />
stone tools which remain;<br />
• Help you to discover ways<br />
to find good and desirable<br />
arrowheads from other<br />
sources, such as eBay and<br />
special subject web sites;<br />
• Help you to learn about<br />
point quality and<br />
authenticity, so that you<br />
understand about point<br />
value and character;<br />
• Help you understand about<br />
modern flint knapping, how<br />
new points and implements<br />
are made, how to recognize<br />
them, and how to appreciate<br />
those items for the skill and<br />
the craftsmanship of the<br />
work which they exhibit;<br />
• Help you to recognize that<br />
some people still try to sell<br />
unsuspecting collectors<br />
items which may or may not<br />
be what the item is<br />
described to be, that you<br />
should be careful when you<br />
think about buying points<br />
for your collection;<br />
• Help you to learn about<br />
authentication services and<br />
their value to you as a<br />
collector.<br />
As we do these things, we will<br />
maintain your readership and<br />
interest in our newsletter for<br />
many years to come.<br />
Thank you for your participation,<br />
and your interest in<br />
“<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Web</strong>”.<br />
Sincerely,<br />
F. Scott Crawford<br />
Carrollton, Texas<br />
<strong>The</strong> cave art shown on the last page of<br />
“<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong>”<br />
is from the “Cave of the Hands,”<br />
located on the Pinturas River in<br />
Santa Cruz Provence, Argentina.<br />
It was made thousands of years ago,<br />
by native peoples, perhaps in comingof-age<br />
ceremonies, since the painted<br />
hand images are the size for youths<br />
about thirteen years of age. <strong>The</strong><br />
photograph was made in the cave by<br />
Mariano Cecowski, in 2005, and is<br />
used with permission through<br />
Wikipedia.com<br />
Member AACA<br />
© 2009. All Rights Reserved.<br />
www.<strong>Arrowhead</strong><strong>Collecting</strong><strong>On</strong><strong>The</strong><strong>Web</strong>.com<br />
F. Scott Crawford, Carrollton, Texas<br />
About <strong>The</strong> Author<br />
From the time when I was 13 or<br />
14 in the forested foothills of the<br />
western Oregon Willamette Valley<br />
and found my first arrowhead, an<br />
obsidian “bird point,” in a field my<br />
dad had plowed for an experimental<br />
crop of maize, I have<br />
always wondered about the<br />
people who used these stone<br />
tools, how they lived, and what<br />
became of them.<br />
Some friends had collected<br />
Indian artifacts in the desert<br />
areas of eastern Oregon and my<br />
brothers and I all enjoyed looking<br />
at their display of those arrowheads.<br />
So, to find some points of<br />
our own, on the family land, was<br />
particularly exciting. After that,<br />
whenever we were working in the<br />
bean fields, or tending livestock,<br />
or moving irrigation pipes, or just<br />
wandering across the back 40,<br />
we always would keep an eye out<br />
for bits and pieces of worked<br />
stone, tools and points, to add to<br />
our growing collection.<br />
Today, I still keep an eye out for<br />
remnants of past cultures. And<br />
as the world has changed so<br />
much, I can now do much, but not<br />
all, of that wandering and learning<br />
on the internet, on the world wide<br />
web. That’s how I came to be<br />
collecting arrowheads on the<br />
web, and why I began to put<br />
together this newsletter, for<br />
others across the land who also<br />
are interested in “ <strong>Arrowhead</strong><br />
<strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong>”.<br />
FSC<br />
p.s. <strong>The</strong>re is still a time and a<br />
place for criss crossing a plowed<br />
field, or walking along the banks<br />
of a stream, just to see what you<br />
might find. Knowing where to<br />
look and how, is part of what we<br />
plan to explore in the pages of<br />
“<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong><br />
<strong>Web</strong>.” Read, learn, find, enjoy.<br />
p.p.s. You are invited to visit my flint<br />
knapping web site:<br />
www.<strong>Arrowhead</strong>-Maker.com<br />
Volume I, Number 7 2<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
Getting Started With <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>Arrowhead</strong>s ... How Does That<br />
Happen? A Reader’s Story Idea Invites You To Share.<br />
by Kelly Griffin, Portland, Oregon<br />
I grew up on the north end of Tampa<br />
Bay, Florida. A state park fence<br />
separated our yard from Phillippe<br />
Park, named for Odet Phillippe, chief<br />
surgeon for Napoleon, who was later<br />
credited with settling the area<br />
permanently and introducing<br />
grapefruit to the New World. I<br />
always thought the park was<br />
misnamed, however, because the<br />
entire focal point of the park was the<br />
huge oyster shell mound made for the<br />
lodge of the chiefs of the ancient<br />
aborigines, the Tocobagas, who were<br />
the largest community of inhabitants<br />
of Tampa Bay and had lived and<br />
thrived there for thousands of years.<br />
It astounds me that Phillippe Park still<br />
doesn’t have a significant memorial or<br />
placard for what it means historically.<br />
It was the official spot where Pedro<br />
Menendez de Aviles and Panfilo de<br />
Narvaez of Spain came ashore in the<br />
new world in the mid 1500s and put<br />
an end to the Tocobagas in very short<br />
order with active force and passive<br />
diseases they brought with them.<br />
Today, the place is a very wellgroomed<br />
“picnic park”, with a<br />
wraparound concrete seawall, paved<br />
pathways, play areas for young kids,<br />
volleyball nets, permanent barbecue<br />
grills, with everything neatly turfed<br />
and groomed with St. Augustine<br />
grass. And, with that, no signs<br />
remaining of the rich history that<br />
supposedly set it aside as a state park<br />
in the first place.<br />
* * * * *<br />
When I was a kid, though, Phillippe<br />
Park was so much more primitive,<br />
and appealing, and wondrous.<br />
Painting by an historical artist in Florida<br />
depicting the Tocobaga native people<br />
harvesting fish in Tampa Bay.<br />
(picture credit: Hermann Trappman).<br />
Everything within five hundred yards<br />
of the mound remained basically<br />
unchanged from the years before, and<br />
there was no seawall to stop cliff<br />
erosion at the steep shoreline. I can<br />
remember a glorious old oak tree that<br />
leaned way out over the water, and<br />
erosion had undermined most of its<br />
root structure, creating the most<br />
wonderful, natural kid’s “secret cave”<br />
you could ever want.<br />
I couldn’t even guess the number of<br />
times I went artifact hunting at<br />
Phillippe Park as a kid. It was always<br />
something to do when there was<br />
nothing to do, and there was never a<br />
time I can recall that I came back<br />
empty-handed. <strong>The</strong> park was fully<br />
littered with clay pottery shards, and<br />
flint and chert scrapers and “pieces of<br />
things” weren’t uncommon to find<br />
laying almost anywhere.<br />
We even had kind of an ongoing<br />
contest with our neighbors whenever<br />
tropical monsoons happened; the<br />
downpours in Tampa Bay were so<br />
heavy that they could change artifact<br />
hunting altogether from one day to<br />
the next. Because the mound and the<br />
area around it added elevation to the<br />
area, there were lots of spots for<br />
gulleys and small washouts during a<br />
good rain. It got to be that we would<br />
go out in raingear while it was still<br />
pouring down rain, just to beat our<br />
neighbors to the punch. Sometimes<br />
we’d run into each other, them doing<br />
the same thing against us.<br />
* * * * *<br />
As a young artifact hunter, I<br />
remember my only real goal was to<br />
find “a perfect point”. It was fairly<br />
common to find broken halves of<br />
large lance points and spear points,<br />
but, for some reason, what I always<br />
really wanted and hoped to find was<br />
a whole, perfect, run-of-the-mill<br />
arrowhead. <strong>The</strong> common point was<br />
called the Pinellas point, which was<br />
nothing more than about an inchand-a-half<br />
tall isosceles triangle of<br />
flint or chert. Nothing fancy, but<br />
finding a perfect Pinellas point was<br />
what told me I was an “official”<br />
artifact hunter.<br />
It seemed that everybody else but me<br />
could find points. Looking back as<br />
an adult, though, the other stuff I<br />
found is much more rare and<br />
desirable as artifacts. I found two<br />
exquisite conch shell pendants (one<br />
of which the local historical society<br />
asked if I would donate), the upper<br />
half of a clay pendant, another flat<br />
shell ornament and some very nice<br />
pieces of pottery. Most of the pottery<br />
to be found was plain and<br />
unadorned, but it was always nice to<br />
find a piece of rim, and twice my<br />
brother brought home a piece that<br />
had an integrated figurine or other<br />
embellishment. We found some<br />
evidence of the Spaniards’ presence<br />
there as well; pieces of white<br />
flatware with indigo patterns, part of<br />
a wooden comb with a pattern<br />
carved on it, and a blue glass trade<br />
bead. I even found a rusted bayonet<br />
entangled deep in the roots of a palm<br />
tree, however I’m pretty sure that<br />
was from some time in the 1800s.<br />
But, for some reason, those treasures<br />
didn’t quite qualify as good enough<br />
finds in my mind. What I really<br />
wanted was a perfect Pinellas point.<br />
* * * * *<br />
(continued...)<br />
Volume I, Number 7 3<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
Top center are the two perfect Pinellas points I found next to each other. To the right and below them are four ornaments; one flat shell,<br />
the upper portion of a clay pendant and two complete conch shell pendants (they ground off the outer shell and made the pendant from<br />
the inner core). You can even see where they’re notched for attachment. Those are the ones the local historical society asked me if I<br />
wanted to donate. Below the pendants, from the right, is a “turtleback” scraper and two clay pottery shards. To the lower left is a<br />
fragment of Spanish plateware. <strong>The</strong> tall point in the center I suspect might be a tool of some kind, maybe a drill. <strong>The</strong> point in the upper<br />
left is perfect, and I’ve always wondered why the base was shaped that way. <strong>The</strong> remaining base-notched point was one I found when I<br />
was a young kid hiding in the branches of an oak tree, spying on a young couple making out on a blanket nearby. I spotted the point<br />
from up in the tree about twenty or thirty feet away on the ground.<br />
<strong>On</strong>e Saturday, with nothing to do, I<br />
went out hunting for the jillionth time<br />
on the side of the mound. I looked for<br />
awhile and had made the turn back<br />
and was working my way toward<br />
home when, just off the side of the<br />
path I was on, I looked down and saw<br />
a very small, tan-colored patch in the<br />
dirt. You’d never see it if you weren’t<br />
looking for it. I picked it up and<br />
wiped it off; I blinked a couple times,<br />
and I could feel my heart starting to<br />
race. It was a perfect Pinellas point. I<br />
clasped it in my fist, did a little cheer<br />
to myself and then ran all the way<br />
home to show my mom. She made<br />
me a tuna sandwich for lunch, and I<br />
told her I was so excited that as soon<br />
as I finished I was going to go back<br />
out to look for more stuff.<br />
I guess from just superstition or<br />
something I went back to that<br />
identical spot on the mound to look,<br />
but I also thought to myself, “Just<br />
because I found my first perfect point<br />
here, why would I expect to find<br />
anything else here?”<br />
I looked down and found another<br />
perfect Pinellas point... this one even<br />
nicer... in almost the exact spot where<br />
I’d found my first one.<br />
That day I was an artifact hunter.<br />
Kelly Griffin<br />
Volume I, Number 7 4<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
For Hundreds Of Generations, <strong>The</strong> Buffalo Herds Were A Major<br />
Resource For Those Who Were At <strong>On</strong>e With <strong>The</strong> Land. Evidence<br />
For This Vast Span Of Time From A Single Nebraska Collection:<br />
Looks like a Knife River Flint Clovis<br />
Point, Paleo-Indian cultural period,<br />
circa 13,000 B.P. (Before Present, is<br />
based on 1950 A.D. as the reference year.)<br />
About 2-7/8” long, very nice form.<br />
Looks like a Chert Folsom Point,<br />
Paleo-Indian cultural period, circa<br />
12,000 B.P. About 1-3/4” long, nice<br />
form. Possible restoration at tip?<br />
Looks like an Agate Goshen Paleo-<br />
Indian cultural period, circa 12,500<br />
B.P., or possibly a Clovis Point, with<br />
minimal fluting, circa 13,000 B.P.<br />
About 3” long, very nice form.<br />
(All of these photographs were provided<br />
by Stephanie Roberts, to illustrate a few<br />
of the points in her Grandfather’s<br />
collection, from a relatively small area in<br />
north/central Nebraska. <strong>The</strong> notes and<br />
descriptions are the editor’s thoughts.)<br />
Looks like a Flint Clovis Point, with<br />
normal base-thinning fluting, Paleo-<br />
Indian cultural period, circa 13,000<br />
B.P. About 3-7/8” long, nice form,<br />
made with fine pressure flaking.<br />
Looks like a resharpened Agate Folsom Point, and two other Paleo-Indian dart<br />
points of agate or flint, made from chips with minimal pressure flaking along the<br />
edges. Ages around 12,000 B.P. All shown actual size. (continued...)<br />
Volume I, Number 7 5<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
Looks like a Quartzite Scottsbluff<br />
Lance Point, from the latter Paleo-<br />
Indian period, around 10,000 B.P.<br />
Note the impact fracture at the tip.<br />
Looks like a Quartzite Scottsbluff Dart<br />
Point, from the latter Paleo-Indian<br />
period, around 10,000 B.P.<br />
(All of these photographs were provided<br />
by Stephanie Roberts, to illustrate a few<br />
of the points in her Grandfather’s<br />
collection, from a relatively small area in<br />
north/central Nebraska. <strong>The</strong> notes and<br />
descriptions are the editor’s thoughts.)<br />
Looks like a Jasper Goshen dart point, a resharpened Quartzite Folsom Point,<br />
and a Jasper or Chert Clovis Point. Ages around 12,500 B.P. for the Goshen Dart<br />
Point, 12,000 B.P. for the Folsom Point and 13,000 B.P. for the Clovis.<br />
Looks like a resharpened Flint Folsom Point, a Jasper Paleo-Indian dart point, a<br />
broken and resharpened Agate Clovis Point, and a possible Agate Clovis Point.<br />
Ages around 12,000 B.P. for the Dart Point and the Folsom Point and 13,000 B.P.<br />
for the Clovis Points. All shown actual size.<br />
Looks like a Chert Paleo-Indian dart point, an Agate Paleo-Indian Goshen Dart<br />
Point, and a Chert Clovis Point. Ages around 12,500 B.P. for the Dart Points and<br />
13,000 B.P. for the Clovis. All shown actual size.<br />
(continued...)<br />
Volume I, Number 7 6<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
Looks like an extensively resharpened<br />
Agate Spear Point or Knife, from the<br />
late Archaic period, from 3,000 to<br />
6,000 B.P.<br />
Looks like a Flint Calf Creek or other<br />
large base notched Spear or Knife,<br />
from the middle Archaic period.<br />
Looks like a Flint Calf Creek Spear or<br />
Knife, from the middle Archaic<br />
period, around 6,000 to 8,000 B.P.<br />
Looks like an Agate or Flint Lance<br />
Point, from the late Archaic period,<br />
around 3,000 to 6,000 B.P.<br />
Looks like a Chert base-notched Dart<br />
Point, from the late Archaic period,<br />
from 3,000 to 6,000 B.P.<br />
Looks like a Quartzite Corner Tang<br />
Knife Blade, from the latter Archaic<br />
period, around 3,000 to 6,000B.P.<br />
(<strong>The</strong>se photographs were provided by<br />
Stephanie Roberts, to show her Grandfather’s<br />
Nebraska collection. <strong>The</strong> notes<br />
and descriptions are the editor’s.)<br />
Looks like two Flint or Agate sidenotched<br />
Dart Points from the late<br />
Archaic Period, 3,000 to 6,000 B.P.<br />
Looks like a Flint or Agate side-notched Dart Point from the Middle Archaic<br />
period, 6,000 to 8,000 B.P., an agate corner-notched Dart Point from the Late<br />
Archaic Period and a Jasper side-notched Dart Point from the Late Archaic,<br />
around 3,000 to 6,000 B.P.<br />
Volume I, Number 7 7<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
e-Mail Letters To <strong>The</strong> Editor:<br />
October 18, 2009<br />
Hey Scott,<br />
Here is the story of our finds in<br />
central Oregon.<br />
My wife’s uncle owns a considerable<br />
plot of land (ranch) in the juniper<br />
country of Central Oregon, east of<br />
Bend.<br />
<strong>On</strong>e can grow detached from nature<br />
living in the metro area of any city<br />
(we reside in Portland) and so we<br />
decided to head out to his ranch for a<br />
week-long getaway to what was, for<br />
us, unknown country.<br />
Upon arriving we discovered there<br />
was little to no water on the entire<br />
ranch (save the occasional cattle<br />
pond), eliminating any sort of fishing<br />
and reserving activities to either<br />
hiking or horseback riding. <strong>The</strong> dust<br />
and considerable mid-day temperatures<br />
drove us to choose horseback<br />
riding and on our second day there,<br />
took off at daybreak for a ride.<br />
My wife’s uncle had informed us of<br />
several dried-up lakes which, if you<br />
get there early enough, sometimes<br />
will have deer grazing on the sparse<br />
grass that pokes through the alkali<br />
mud. We chose the closest one and<br />
set off on a 2 hour rocky ride with<br />
little more than a cattle path to guide<br />
us.<br />
<strong>The</strong> lake must have been no more<br />
than 5-6 feet deep at its prime and<br />
looked to presently contain a few<br />
inches of water on a wet year. Steep<br />
banks surrounded the entire lake,<br />
which lead up to a nearly continuous<br />
level terrace.<br />
As we were passing over one part of<br />
the terrace we noticed black flakes<br />
everywhere, sometimes so thick one<br />
couldn’t move without stepping on a<br />
dozen or so. I thought it may be an<br />
archeological site but was unsure due<br />
to my lack of experience on the<br />
matter. My suspicions were<br />
confirmed, however, when I noticed a<br />
point sticking directly out of the<br />
ground. I picked it up and about that<br />
time my son yelled that he found one<br />
as well.<br />
A few hours later we had found four<br />
nice points and several handfuls of<br />
Top is an undisturbed artifact in the dry soil of the ranch in Eastern Oregon. <strong>The</strong><br />
volcanic ash rich soil clings to the point even afer the point is pulled from the ground.<br />
broken ones. We reported the news<br />
back to my wife’s uncle who assured<br />
us that there were many such sites<br />
around that lake and in other places<br />
on the ranch, telling us to feel free to<br />
pick up whatever we could find.<br />
He showed us a collection that he had<br />
framed and hung on the wall of a<br />
couple hundred points that he had<br />
“happened upon” while working.<br />
<strong>The</strong> points were all shapes and sizes,<br />
most beautifully made and all from<br />
obsidian.<br />
Upon our return, we purchased<br />
literature on point typology and have<br />
(continued...)<br />
Volume I, Number 7 8<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
determined that the points we found<br />
that day are of the Cascade/Early Leaf<br />
type and among the broken pieces<br />
were Windust and Cougar Mountain<br />
points. <strong>The</strong> thrill of holding<br />
something that likely hadn’t been held<br />
for thousands of years and fashioned<br />
by an unknown people for an<br />
unknown purpose sparked something<br />
within me and I have been an avid<br />
collector ever since.<br />
It has only been a little over a year<br />
since our first finds but we have<br />
already returned to the site numerous<br />
times and have sought out new sites<br />
only to be rewarded with more<br />
ancient finds. Our “whole” or “all<br />
there” finds have included Windust,<br />
Cascade, Silver Lake and Haskett<br />
types from our initial site and Elko,<br />
Pinto Basin and Gatecliff from other<br />
sites on the ranch. While we are no<br />
experts, I think it’s safe to say that<br />
people have been occupying the<br />
property and leaving traces of that<br />
occupation since early archaic times.<br />
How exciting!<br />
Your publication has been another<br />
great find for us, giving us a wealth of<br />
knowledge on the subject as well<br />
motivating us with stories of great<br />
finds sent in from your readers.<br />
Please, by all means, keep it up!<br />
Jason Davis<br />
October 22, 2009<br />
Sorry for the delay. We have<br />
Windows 7 launching today and have<br />
been busy all week.<br />
Here are pics from our most recent<br />
visit to the ranch. This is a 4”<br />
Windust or Cody complex knife. <strong>The</strong><br />
insitu pic is just that, I hadn’t even<br />
touched yet and called for Daniel to<br />
come over and take a photo. <strong>The</strong><br />
following pic is only a few seconds<br />
out of the ground. I will try and get a<br />
cleaned up pic for you as well since it<br />
has beautiful mahogany obsidian<br />
striations.<br />
Thanks!<br />
Jason<br />
Publisher’s e-mail address:<br />
fscottcrawford@<br />
arrowheadcollectingontheweb.com<br />
Top isthe same Cody or Windust Point, cleaned up, showing the streaks of mohogany<br />
color in the obsidian. <strong>The</strong> second photograph is an edge view to show additional detail of<br />
this fine point’s design and workmanship by the aboriginal knapper.<br />
Below are three additional excellent dart and spear points or knife blades from the ranch.<br />
Each one is a different style of blade, from Pinto Basin on the left to an excellent Cascade<br />
on the right.<br />
Volume I, Number 7 9<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
TM<br />
How Can We Tell <strong>The</strong> Difference Between An Ancient <strong>Arrowhead</strong><br />
And A Modern-Made Reproduction Point? Let’s Take A<br />
Look At Some Of Each Side By Side And Note <strong>The</strong> Differences.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se two points are magnified<br />
about six times their actual size, so<br />
that we can look closely at a few<br />
details which can help us note age<br />
and authenticity.<br />
<strong>The</strong> first thing which we can<br />
observe is the surface of the stone<br />
from which each point is knapped.<br />
<strong>The</strong> agate point on the left has a<br />
surface patination wich makes it<br />
appear aged. It has changed color<br />
from exposure, since we can see<br />
the true color of the stone at the<br />
very tip of the point, where there<br />
has been a tiny break. <strong>The</strong> tip was<br />
split when found. A remaining<br />
portion came off after the point<br />
was found by the author in 1963<br />
or 1964 in western Oregon.<br />
<strong>The</strong> Texas flint arrowhead on the<br />
right shows a number of thin,<br />
clear hinge pieces still holding on<br />
at the end of the pressure flake<br />
scars. In an ancient point most of<br />
these would have fallen off due to<br />
uncounted freeze/thaw cycles.<br />
Any remaining hinge flakes<br />
would also have soil or mineral<br />
deposits accumulating at the<br />
hinge line, in the notches and even<br />
under the remaining flake ends, as<br />
with the agate point. This point<br />
was made in 2009 by the author.<br />
Volume I, Number 7 10<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
TM<br />
Two Pairs Of Matching <strong>Arrowhead</strong>s, Each Of <strong>The</strong> Same Stone,<br />
In <strong>The</strong> Same Style. Can You Tell <strong>The</strong> Ancient From <strong>The</strong> New?<br />
<strong>The</strong>se two pairs of points are<br />
magnified about 3 times their<br />
actual size, so that we can look<br />
closely at a few details which can<br />
help us note age and authenticity.<br />
Again, the first thing which we<br />
can observe is the surface of the<br />
stone from which each point is<br />
knapped. <strong>The</strong> colorful agate<br />
points on the left have a fresh<br />
surface in all visible locations.<br />
<strong>The</strong> edges and corners are sharp,<br />
crisp, clean and undamaged.<br />
A few hinge flakes remain at the<br />
end of the pressure flake scars.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se are the translucent, thin<br />
pieces hanging on still; they<br />
appear almost white in contrast to<br />
the solid material around them.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re are a couple of crushed or<br />
hanging-on hinge flakes in the<br />
notches of the left side point in<br />
this pair.<br />
In comparison, the entire surface<br />
of each red and tan jasper point in<br />
the right photograph, rather than<br />
bright and fresh, features a duller<br />
and aged finish on the stone; this<br />
is the patina left by exposure to<br />
the elements. Even though these<br />
points were sheltered in a cache<br />
when found, the passage of time<br />
has dulled the surface. This is<br />
visible in the photographs.<br />
In addition, there are no<br />
remaining hinge fracture pieces<br />
still hanging on. <strong>The</strong> hundreds of<br />
cool winters and hot summers in<br />
northern California have seen<br />
enough moisture expansion and<br />
contraction to peel them away.<br />
It is evident that each pair of<br />
arrowheads was made of the same<br />
source stone, and that each set was<br />
designed and knapped by the<br />
same hand, probably at the same<br />
time. For an ancient set of<br />
arrowheads, this was a remarkable<br />
and amazing find. <strong>The</strong>y were<br />
found by Pat Welch in Siskiyou<br />
County of northern California in<br />
1970, in an apparent cache, with<br />
several other undamaged points.<br />
<strong>The</strong> two agate points in the left<br />
photograph were made by the<br />
author in 2009, from two small<br />
slabs cut from the same stone.<br />
Volume I, Number 7 11<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
TM<br />
Two Gunther Serrated Style <strong>Arrowhead</strong>s Made Of Transparent<br />
Obsidian. How Can You Know Which <strong>On</strong>e Is Ancient Or New?<br />
<strong>The</strong>se two obsidian points are<br />
magnified about 7 times their<br />
actual size, so that we can look<br />
closely at a few details which can<br />
help us note their relative age and<br />
authenticity.<br />
Again, the first thing which we<br />
can observe is the surface of the<br />
stone from which each point is<br />
knapped. <strong>The</strong> transparent<br />
obsidian point on the left has a<br />
fresh surface in all visible<br />
locations. <strong>The</strong> edges and corners<br />
are sharp, crisp, clean and<br />
undamaged. <strong>The</strong> points of the<br />
serrations remain pointed in<br />
appearance, even at this<br />
magnification.<br />
A couple of hinge flakes<br />
remain at the end of the<br />
pressure flake scars. <strong>The</strong>se are<br />
transparent, thin pieces hanging<br />
on still; they appear almost<br />
white in contrast to the<br />
clear or streaked material<br />
around them.<br />
<strong>The</strong> corner at the end of the<br />
base tang is still very<br />
squared away and freshly<br />
angled, with no weathering.<br />
This point is made from<br />
“Midnight Lace”<br />
obsidian from Glass<br />
Buttes in eastern Oregon.<br />
It was made by the author<br />
in early 2009 as part of<br />
a study on the<br />
knapping of the<br />
Gunther style of<br />
arrowheads.<br />
You can obtain an<br />
electronic pdf file<br />
copy of the 20-page<br />
write up about this<br />
Gunther style<br />
arrowheads study<br />
from the author’s<br />
Flint Knapping<br />
web site:<br />
www.StoneBreaker-FSC.net<br />
Click the link for “AA&A Review”<br />
<strong>The</strong> surface of the gray,<br />
translucent obsidian arrowhead<br />
on the right reflects light, but it<br />
has a duller finish. This is the<br />
effect of the “hydration rind”<br />
formation which occurs on the<br />
outer surface of obsidian, from<br />
exposure to water over a long<br />
period of time.<br />
<strong>The</strong> intersecting edges along the<br />
sides of the flake scars, where the<br />
pressure flaking removals overlap,<br />
have a rounder, not so sharp look.<br />
<strong>The</strong> points of the serrations all<br />
look rounded at this enlargement,<br />
rather than sharp like on the<br />
other point.<br />
Plus, the corners of the base<br />
tang appear more rounded<br />
and smooth; this could be<br />
due to the design, though it<br />
can also be due to exposure<br />
and corrosion, similar<br />
to the rounding and<br />
smoothing effect visible<br />
on the serrations.<br />
This Gunther point<br />
was found in the<br />
1950’s in Shasta<br />
County of northern<br />
California, by<br />
Frank Estes, and<br />
is no. RR 303 from<br />
the Robert Roy<br />
collection.<br />
I purchased it<br />
from Michael<br />
Knighton at<br />
Renegade<br />
Artifacts in<br />
2009. His<br />
eBay ID is<br />
“1muduck2”.<br />
His eBay<br />
store is also<br />
called Renegade Artifacts.<br />
Mike’s new website is named:<br />
www.ArtifactsAmerica.net<br />
Volume I, Number 7 12<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
TM <strong>The</strong>se are three modern-made reproduction arrowheads which are excellent examples of<br />
the skill and quality of today’s flintknappers. <strong>The</strong>se were made by Matt Strehle, who<br />
lives in Pennsylvania. You can see more of his work at www.modernstoneworks.com<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong> or occasionally on eBay under the ID: “flylaps”. I am pleased to show some of his work<br />
as a good example of skill and craftsmanship. His artwork is exceptional. And he always<br />
sells his stylized arrowhead and dart points clearly identified as modern work.<br />
A Word To <strong>The</strong> Wise, When You Consider Buying Artifacts <strong>On</strong><br />
<strong>The</strong> Internet Or In Person From An Individual Or A Company.<br />
Do not let the<br />
excitement of a<br />
new find distract<br />
you from careful<br />
consideration of<br />
the authenticity<br />
and the history<br />
of the point or<br />
tool you are<br />
contemplating.<br />
If a story sounds<br />
too good to be<br />
true, likely<br />
it is too good<br />
to be true.<br />
Develop a relationship<br />
with<br />
the seller so<br />
that you can<br />
decide the<br />
level of trust<br />
you can place<br />
on his or her<br />
word.<br />
Ask for as full<br />
an account of<br />
the history of<br />
the point as<br />
may be<br />
available.<br />
This is called<br />
the “provenance” of the point.<br />
It should include the name of<br />
the finder, the place, the date,<br />
and a description of the circumstances<br />
or special conditions<br />
under which the discovery was<br />
made. Also you should ask for<br />
a full list of previous owners of<br />
the point or tool, if you are not<br />
obtaining it from the original<br />
finder. Whenever possible, you<br />
should inquire about and even<br />
require a certificate of authenticity<br />
from a respected source.<br />
Almost any collector to whom<br />
you speak will have a story of<br />
how he bought a point from<br />
someone whom<br />
he thought was<br />
trustworthy, only<br />
to find out later<br />
that the point was<br />
either unknowingly<br />
or deliberately sold as<br />
authentic,<br />
2-5/8” x<br />
3/4”<br />
when in reality<br />
was a modern<br />
copy or reproduction<br />
point. In<br />
addition, when<br />
you are looking at<br />
possible “Paleo-<br />
Indian” artifacts,<br />
it would be well to<br />
keep in mind that<br />
in most parts of<br />
the country, they are<br />
very rare. I know lifelong<br />
students of archaeology<br />
who have worked all<br />
over the country on projects<br />
covering the many eras of<br />
human occupation on<br />
this continent who<br />
have only ever found<br />
one or two authentic<br />
Paleo-Indian relics<br />
such as a Clovis<br />
spear point or a<br />
Folsom dart point.<br />
When these points<br />
are discovered in<br />
scientific excavations<br />
they are celebrated<br />
and then<br />
carefully cataloged<br />
for future study<br />
and scientific<br />
reference.<br />
If they are found<br />
on private land,<br />
these points and<br />
tools are most<br />
often preserved<br />
and put away,<br />
well out of the<br />
public eye. And<br />
sometimes, if a<br />
collector has a<br />
good Paleo-<br />
Indian point<br />
which has been<br />
certified and<br />
authenticated, he might be<br />
tempted to sell it, but this<br />
would be quite unusual. No<br />
artifact dealer would ever want<br />
to sell a high quality Folsom,<br />
Clovis or Cumberland point,<br />
for example, without suggesting<br />
a substantial price.<br />
I say this to caution you and to<br />
encourage you to carefully<br />
consider claims of age, culture<br />
and authenticity which you<br />
will hear from collectors and/or<br />
sellers of possibly ancient<br />
artifacts.<br />
Volume I, Number 7 13<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
TM<br />
A Close-Up Look At <strong>The</strong> Edge Treatment Of A Modern-Made<br />
Stone Blade, Knapped From A Cut Slab Of Jasper, Ground To A<br />
Pre-Form Shape To Minimize <strong>The</strong> Pressure Flaking Finish Work.<br />
This Bullseye Jasper knife blade or<br />
spear point was made by my<br />
friend, Clifford Carney, of<br />
Las Vegas, Nevada. <strong>The</strong><br />
jasper is from out in the<br />
desert north of Las Vegas a<br />
couple of hundred miles.<br />
I am showing this blade to<br />
illustrate the technique<br />
which you will often see in<br />
modern knapped pieces.<br />
You see, this was made from<br />
a ground pre-form. Cliff cuts<br />
the jasper into slabs, then he<br />
cuts the slabs into the rough<br />
outline of the piece he intends<br />
to pressure flake. However,<br />
before the pressure flaking<br />
stage, he grinds the piece close<br />
to the desired lens-shaped cross<br />
section. It is also heat treated, to<br />
make the jasper a little easier to<br />
work; this also gives it the glossy<br />
surface which you can see.<br />
After the pressure flaking, he<br />
trims the “deltas”, the high spots<br />
remaining at the edge, between<br />
each large pressure flake. Using a<br />
smaller tool, he removes 3 or 4<br />
small flakes to eliminate the high<br />
spots and leave a sharpened edge.<br />
<strong>The</strong> small flakes which are visible<br />
are typical of this finishing step<br />
for what knappers call “flake over<br />
ground” preforms.<br />
Cliff sells his knapped pieces on<br />
eBay, and always identifies his<br />
artwork as modern. His eBay ID<br />
is “Stonefusion.”<br />
If you are looking at a piece which<br />
someone is telling you is ancient<br />
and authentic, and it looks glossy<br />
and perfect like this, with this<br />
style of edge treatment and<br />
uniform large pressure flaking<br />
like this, you should definitely<br />
consider that it is possibly a piece<br />
of modern flintknapper’s art, and<br />
that probably it is not ancient.<br />
Volume I, Number 7 14<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
TM<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
Artifact Authentication Services<br />
& Certificates Of Authenticity<br />
Authentication and evaluation<br />
services for artifacts from all<br />
over the world are available<br />
from a number of highly<br />
respected sources.<br />
Some offer these services for<br />
regional items, since they<br />
specialize in Western, or South<br />
Western, or South Eastern, or<br />
North Central or North Eastern<br />
artifact types.<br />
And most of the authenticators<br />
have web sites. Read up on<br />
their services, learn about their<br />
specialties, obtain pricing and<br />
timing information, and determine<br />
how to send items for<br />
authentication and evaluation.<br />
Here are some well known and<br />
respected authenticators:<br />
Dwain Rogers<br />
Texas Flint Authentication<br />
4102 Birch Avenue<br />
Temple, Texas 76502<br />
Telephone: 1-254-791-5520<br />
Jeff Baker<br />
Baker Authentication<br />
www.BakerCOA.com<br />
P.O. Box 772<br />
Paragould, Arkansas 72451<br />
Telephone: 1-870-239-9722<br />
You can use a<br />
jeweler’s Lupe 8X<br />
magnifier, just to<br />
begin the high<br />
enlargement<br />
examination of an<br />
artifact, to look for<br />
edge wear and<br />
tool marks.<br />
Bill Jackson<br />
Jackson Galleries<br />
www.JacksonGalleries.com<br />
P.O. Box 1005<br />
Mount Sterling , Kentucky 40353<br />
Telephone: 1-800-466-3836<br />
Fax: 1-859-499-0160<br />
Tom Davis<br />
Davis Artifacts, Inc.<br />
www.TomDavisArtifacts.com<br />
P.O. Box 676<br />
Stanton, Kentucky 40380<br />
Telephone: 1-606-663-2741<br />
Ben Stermer<br />
Western Typology<br />
www.WesternTypology.com<br />
44207 W McClelland Dr.<br />
Maricopa, Arizona 85238<br />
email: BSte122241@aol.com<br />
Jeb Taylor<br />
Jeb Taylor Artifacts<br />
P.O. Box 882<br />
Buffalo, Wyoming 82834<br />
Telephone: 1-307-737-2347<br />
Ken Partain<br />
www.kensrelics.com<br />
7044 Market Street<br />
Dover, Arkansas 72837<br />
Telephone: 1-479-331-3486<br />
Sam Cox<br />
www.SamCoxArtifacts.com<br />
968 Floyd Drive<br />
Lexington, Kentucky 40505<br />
Telephone: 1-859-351-5675<br />
Old Stone Age<br />
Handaxe (Paleolithic),<br />
age 200,000+/- years.<br />
http://www.Stormbroek.com<br />
A European artifact gallery,<br />
which offers quality antiquities<br />
from all historic eras, and all<br />
areas around the world.<br />
eBay Store: Stormbroek<br />
Scottsbluff Spear<br />
Point, late Paleo, early<br />
Archaic period, age<br />
8,000 to 10,000 years.<br />
eBay store: SWArkArtifacts<br />
eBay ID: “razrbk”<br />
Dealer located in Arkansas, features<br />
authentic artifacts from the south/<br />
central United States, many with<br />
Certificates of Authenticity.<br />
eBay Store: SWarkArtifacts<br />
Volume I, Number 7 15<br />
November 2009
ACOTW<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong><br />
TM<br />
Two “Gunther” Barbed & Serrated <strong>Arrowhead</strong>s And A “Wintu”<br />
Style Point, Knapped By Matt Strehle. Two Are Montana Agate<br />
With Spot Inclusions, <strong>The</strong> Other Is Carnelian Agate.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se three modern-made<br />
reproduction arrowheads are<br />
excellent examples of the skill<br />
and quality of today’s flintknappers.<br />
<strong>The</strong>se were also<br />
made by Matt Strehle. You can<br />
see more of his fine work at<br />
www.modernstoneworks.com<br />
or occasionally on eBay under<br />
the ID: “flylaps”.<br />
I am pleased to show some of<br />
his work as a good example of<br />
skill and craftsmanship.<br />
1-1/2” x 3/4”<br />
His sense of design and attention<br />
to detail is exceptional.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is good discipline in<br />
evidence by the consistent and<br />
even spacing of his pressure<br />
flaking and edge serrations<br />
Matt always sells his stylized<br />
arrowhead and dart points<br />
clearly identified as modern<br />
work.<br />
Volume I, Number 7 16<br />
November 2009
If you collect arrowheads, before you buy<br />
another point, make sure you read the critically<br />
important information about the difference<br />
between ancient, authentic artifacts and modern<br />
made reproductions. You will find this information<br />
every month in the e-magazine “<strong>Arrowhead</strong><br />
<strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong>”. Copies of the most<br />
popular types of authentic projectile points and<br />
tools are sometimes sold as ancient. <strong>On</strong> occasion<br />
this happens innocently, through ignorance.<br />
Honorable flint knappers will inform you of the<br />
fact that their points are modern-made. <strong>The</strong>y are<br />
proud of their artwork and will sign it with a<br />
diamond scribe or with indelible ink. Yet, too<br />
often, slick operators, with fraudulent intent,<br />
Authentic Grade 10 quality,<br />
tan and red jasper “Gunther<br />
Barbed” arrowhead from<br />
Siskiyou County in northern<br />
California, found in 1970<br />
by Pat Welch. Shown here<br />
actual size, 1-1/2” x 3/4”.<br />
<strong>STOP</strong>!<br />
will let you believe or even tell you that a<br />
modern-made piece is ancient in origin. <strong>The</strong>y<br />
are trying to separate you from as much money<br />
as possible. You should deal with someone<br />
whom you trust...and be careful even then.<br />
Require signed provenance for your purchases;<br />
certificates of authenticity whenever possible.<br />
Always remember that if a story sounds too<br />
good to be true, it usually is too good to be true.<br />
Being forewarned is forearmed. Accurate knowledge<br />
and practical understanding can give you<br />
peace of mind about the artifact collection you<br />
are building. Make sure you read the e-magazine<br />
“<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong> <strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong>” every<br />
month. By the way, your subscription is free.<br />
<strong>Arrowhead</strong> <strong>Collecting</strong><br />
<strong>On</strong> <strong>The</strong> <strong>Web</strong>TM<br />
© 2009. All rights reserved. F. Scott Crawford, Carrollton, Texas. http://www.<strong>Arrowhead</strong><strong>Collecting</strong><strong>On</strong><strong>The</strong><strong>Web</strong>.com