Arrowhead Collecting On The Web

Transcription

ACOTW
TM
Welcome To
www.ArrowheadCollectingOnTheWeb.com
Volume II, Number 5
May 2010
Talk About How To Display Your Collection! Look At The Lee
Family’s Regional Missouri Type Point Collection, Put Together
Over The Last 25 Years ... Showing 14,000 Years In The Ozarks.
Thank you for subscribing to
our newsletter, “Arrowhead
Collecting On The Web”.
I hope you enjoyed the recent
edition, Volume II, Number 4,
of our digital e-magazine, the
April, 2010 issue.
“Arrowhead Collecting On The
Web” provides an on-going
series of articles and graphic
presentations of information
related to the many different
aspects of discovering and
learning about artifacts of
previous cultures found today.
Now with over 800 readers
across North America, plus in
South America, Africa, Europe,
Australia and Asia, we are
moving forward rapidly into
our second calendar year,
Volume II. This new May 2010
edition addresses the following
topics, among others:
• An intriguing and important
tool for building an artifact
collection is the phenomena
of Artifact Auctions. These
sales often are utilized to
market the various items
accumulated by collectors of
the past. One of these
auctions has just taken place
in Ohio, the first phase of
selling an important
collection of Great Basin,
Columbia River and
Northwestern artifacts put
Quite a few readers have expressed interest in different ways to display their collections and to see
how other collectors have their items displayed. One of the most complete and dramatic displays of a
family’s native American artifact collection which is readily available to be seen on the internet is
the Ozark Type Collection by Steve and Kevin Lee in Missouri. It is shown as a Timeline of
Cultures in the Ozarks, at www.RelicShack.com and on pages 4, 5, 6 and 7 of this issue of ACOTW.
together in the 1940’s and
1950’s by Charles Mitchell
(see page 3).
• 14,000 Years in The Ozarks.
A regional prehistoric
arrowhead type collection
and cultural timeline, put
together by the Lee family in
Missouri. Every point in the
collection was found within
a 100 mile radius, over the
last twenty years or so (see
pages 4-7).
• Today, we hear a lot of
questions and ideas about
the first people in the New
World, debating from
whence they came and who
they were. It has only been
50 or 60 years since the first
discoveries which proved
that the “Clovis” culture was
here during the Ice Age, at
the same time as the
mammoths. Here is
information from these
first Clovis & mammoth
sites (see pages 8-11).
Read, learn, find, enjoy. And
pass it all along to your family
and friends.
ACOTW
TM
Our editorial objective is to
help our readers become longterm, even serious collectors of
arrowheads, over the years to
come. Here are some of the
things we hope to accomplish
for you in this process:
• Help you find new points
and understand what it is
that you are finding;
• Help you to recognize the
different kinds and styles of
collectable arrowheads and
other implements;
• Help you to understand
about the life ways of the
cultures represented by the
stone tools which remain;
• Help you to discover ways
to find good and desirable
arrowheads from other
sources, such as eBay and
special subject web sites;
• Help you understand about
modern flint knapping, how
new points and implements
are made, how to recognize
them, and how to appreciate
those items for the skill and
the craftsmanship of the
work which they exhibit;
• Help you to understand that
some people still try to sell
unsuspecting collectors
items which may or may not
be what the items are
described to be, that you
should be careful when you
think about buying points
for your collection;
• Help you to learn about
authentication services and
their value to you as a
collector.
As we do these things, we will
maintain your readership and
interest in our newsletter for
many years to come.
Volume II, Number 5
Thank you for your participation, and your interest in
Web”.
Sincerely,
F. Scott Crawford
Carrollton, Texas
About The Author
From the time when I was 13 or
14 in the forested foothills of the
western Oregon Willamette Valley
and found my first arrowhead, an
obsidian “bird point,” in a field my
dad had plowed for an experimental crop of maize, I have
always wondered about the
people who used these stone
tools, how they lived, and what
became of them.
Some friends had collected
Indian artifacts in the desert
areas of eastern Oregon and my
brothers and I all enjoyed looking
at their display of those arrowheads. So, to find some points of
our own, on the family land, was
particularly exciting. After that,
whenever we were working in the
bean fields, or tending livestock,
or moving irrigation pipes, or just
wandering across the back 40,
we always would keep an eye out
for bits and pieces of worked
stone, tools and points, to add to
our growing collection.
The “Paleo-Indian” period Clovis
style spear or lance point featured on
the back cover of “Arrowhead
Collecting On The Web” is reported
to have been found in Charlotte
County, Virginia in the 1950’s. As
this point has not yet been examined
by an authenticator, I am cautious to
make no claims of ancient Clovis
origin; instead I continue to entertain
the possibility that it is a modern flint
knapper’s reproduction work.
Member AACA
© 2009. All Rights Reserved.
F. Scott Crawford, Carrollton, Texas
2
Today, I still keep an eye out for
remnants of past cultures. And
as the world has changed so
much, I can now do much, but not
all, of that wandering and learning
on the internet, on the world wide
web. That’s how I came to be
collecting arrowheads on the
web, and why I began to put
together this newsletter, for
others across the land who also
are interested in “ Arrowhead
Collecting On The Web”.
FSC
p.s. There is still a time and a
place for criss crossing a plowed
field, or walking along the banks
of a stream, just to see what you
might find. Knowing where to
look and how, is part of what we
plan to explore in the pages of
Web.” Read, learn, find, enjoy.
p.p.s. You are invited to visit my flint
knapping web site:
www.StoneBreaker-FSC.net
May 2010
ACOTW
TM
Lot# 307
High Bid: $30.00
Washington Columbia Plateau
1 1/8" Split Stem Columbia Plateau found in Benton Co., Washington. Outstanding relic.
Lot# 308
Check Out This
Artifact Auctioneer.
On Sunday, April 18, 2010, Bennett’s
Ancient Artifacts & Auctions LLC
presented the first of a two part sale
of the artifact collection of Charles
Mitchell. Mr. Mitchell is featured in
Who’s Who #3, and was a collector of
nice Western U.S. GemPoints,
arrowheads & knives. The second
part of the sale was scheduled to
occur on May 2, 2010.
Besides the participants at Bennett’s
auction facility, located in Ohio, the
sale was also open to on-line bidding.
At Jim Bennett’s website,
www.OldRelics.com, there are links
to upcoming artifact auctions so that
interested parties can register to
participate in the on-line bidding.
Bennett’s web site provides
information about future artifact
auctions, guidance for collectors of
authentic artifacts and also sells
individual artifacts on-line.
Jim Bennett was the founder of the
AACA, the Authentic Artifact
Collectors Association.
Here is a further description of the
Columbia River and Great Basin
lithics from the collection of Charles
Mitchell
Charles Mitchell was born in
Sunnyside Washington. He was
about 9-10 years old when he began
hunting Indian relics with his parents
in the late 1940’s. They made many
family collecting trips to areas along
the Columbia River, in the Oregon
and Nevada deserts and Northern
California. Over the years, Charlie
was often accompanied on relic
hunting trips by other well known
western collectors such as Ernest
Cowles, Charles Hall and Carrel
Morton. All four of these gentlemen
are profiled in Who’s Who in Indian
Relics No. 3.
Charlie Mitchell was a member of the
Oregon Archaeological Society as well
as the Mid-Columbia Archaeological
Society. As a member of these
organizations he participated in
salvage archaeology projects
undertaken by the National Park
Service with the University of
Washington and Washington State
Volume II, Number 5
High Bid: $0.00
Nice Wallula Gap
15/16" Wallula Gap found in Umatilla Co., Oregon. Translucent.
Lot# 309
High Bid: $110.00
Columbia River Triangular Stemmed Knife
2 5/8" Columbia River Triangular Stemmed Knife found in Klickitat Co., Washington. Made from
Petrified Wood. Nice relic.
Lot# 310
High Bid: $23.00
Nice Washington Columbia Plateau
1 1/8" Semi-translucent Columbia River found in Benton Co., Washington. Well made.
Can't make it to the auction? Bid live online via proxibid.com
Lot# 311
High Bid: $50.00
Fine Columbia Plateau
Thin 1" Columbia Plateau found in Benton Co., Washington. Very well made.
Lot# 312
High Bid: $0.00
Columbia Plateau
1 1/4" Columbia Plateau found in Benton Co., Washington. Semi-translucent.
Lot# 313
High Bid: $0.00
Set of 5 Washington points
Set of 5 points found in Benton Co., Washington. Nice color.
Lot# 314
High Bid: $400.00
Translucent Columbia Plateau
1 5/16" Translucent Columbia Plateau found in Benton Co., Washington.
Lot# 315
High Bid: $0.00
Set of 5 Obsidian Rose Springs points
Set of 5 Obsidian Rose Springs points found in Harney Co., Oregon.
Lot# 316
High Bid: $35.00
Nice Columbia Plateau
15/16" Columbia Plateau found in Benton Co., Washington. Semi-translucent.
Lot# 317
High Bid: $80.00
Obsidian Parman
2 5/8" Obsidian Parman found close to Crump Lake in Lake Co., Oregon.
This is a page from the on-line bidding catalog for the Mitchell Collection auction April 18, 2010. It
shows the lot format, with artifact photographs, descriptions and current on-line bidding status.
University. These activities were
conducted under the supervision of
professional archaeologists including
Robert Butler, Edward Larrabee,
Douglas Osborne, David Rice and
others.
Charlie enjoyed spending time
viewing collections and discussing
artifacts with others, including
famous western collectors Emory
Strong, author of “Stone Age on the
Columbia River” and “Stone Age in
the Great Basin”; and Charles Miles,
author of “Indian and Eskimo
Artifacts of North America”.
In 1972, because of his extensive
knowledge of historic and prehistoric
material culture of the Northwest,
Charlie was asked by Gene Favell to
become the curator-administrator of
3
the newly opened “Favell Museum of
Western Art and Artifacts” in Klamath
Falls, Oregon. The Favell Museum is
well known for its extensive western
lithics collection. He served as
curator of the Favell Museum for
many years before leaving to start an
antique sales and restoration business
with his wife Jackie.
Bennett’s Ancient Artifacts &
Auctions LLC
P.O. Box 315
Polk, OH 44866
(419)945-2893
An Ancient Artifact Auction
Company specializing in the sale of
authentic native American relics.
www.OldRelics.com
May 2010
ACOTW
TM
14,000 Years in the Ozarks -- A Regional Prehistoric Arrowhead
Type Collection & Cultural Timeline By www.RelicShack.com
Steve Lee Tells Us The Background Of www.RelicShack.com
RelicShack.com is a family business located in Lake Ozark,
Missouri, owned by my brother
Kevin and I. Both of us have spent
much of our lives learning and
honoring our Native American
Indian heritage. About 40 years
ago, I found my first arrowhead. I
was so fascinated by this rock that
I carried it in my pocket for
months. From that day on, every
time I walked through fields or
creeks, my eyes were always
aimed at the ground.
As my collection grew larger, I
noticed that many of the arrowheads looked similar. After
getting an arrowhead book for my
birthday, I realized there were
many other types of points that I
didn’t have. At the age of 18, I had
14,000 Years
in the Ozarks
Take a look at
our local prehistoric arrowhead
type collection &
timeline. Read
the story of this
comprehensive
type collection of
projectile points
from our region
of Missouri. We
would like to hear
from you, so let us
know what you think:
[email protected]
(...continues on p. 5)
Volume II, Number 5
4
May 2010
ACOTW
TM
One Of The Web Sites ACOTW Recommends Is RelicShack.com,
The Creators Of This Outstanding Type Collection & Timeline.
saved my money and was ready to
started purchasing arrowheads to
build my collection with better
specimens and all the other types I
couldn’t find (or haven’t found
yet). I went to my first artifacts
show and bought what I thought
was the best pieces of history in
the world. Until a month later,
when I found out I had spent my
hard earned money on a bunch of
fakes, what a let down.
We totally believe we need good
informative Archaeological Societies
to help guide the collectors so they
do not have to suffer like myself
and many other friends. These
organizations also allow people
from outside the artifact community know who the good guys
really are. That is why we are
members with many and support
these groups.
We have done our best not to
Volume II, Number 5
allow any questionable relics on
our site and promise to continue
to do so in the future with the
utmost scrutiny.
Sincerely,
Steve Lee
Christopher Columbus (1492).
Although there is no European
documentation for our prehistory,
we do have Native American
Indian artifacts that tell stories of
our past. This past stretches back
as far as 14,000 years.
The Timeline Goal
Prehistoric Cultures
Have you ever imagined what life
was like in the old days? Many of
you will think back to the days of
our grandparents or great
grandparents but that’s not what
we are talking about. When we
say old days, we mean
“prehistoric times”.
Prehistory is a term used to
describe the period before
recorded time and differs on
geographic location. In the
Americas, prehistoric refers to any
time before the invasion of
5
The goal was to create a timeline
with a full range of prehistoric
arrowhead types in chronological
order. Creating a type collection
can be a challenge. (Some
museums can’t seem to do it - see
below) But this isn’t just a type
collection, it is a local type
collection where every single
arrowhead was locally found.
Collection Highlights
· All arrowheads were found
within a 100 mile radius in
Central Missouri (Ozark Region)
May 2010
ACOTW
TM
Avonlea Arrowhead
RelicShack.com Item #: 15177. Type: Avonlea.
Price: $200.00. Dimensions: 2-1/8" long.
Found: Southern Nebraska.
Era: Late Prehistoric (200 - 800 AD).
Description: Very nice, classic, river polish.
Found on the high plains.
The Lee Family Project: To Build A Comprehensive Missouri
Regional Type Collection & The Inspiration For This Timeline.
· Over 25 years of hunting and
collecting
· All arrowheads with pink labels
are personal finds
· A majority of the arrowheads
were found within the last 20
years
· A wide variety of Missouri
lithics exhibiting fantastic color
Importance of the Timeline
Our timeline display was inspired
by a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American
Indian (NMAI). And we don’t
mean this in a good way. The
nicest things we can say about this
museum is “the architecture of the
building is attractive and the
cafeteria food was delicious”.
Unfortunately, the prehistoric
content was limited and the
historic items were questionable.
Volume II, Number 5
The museum contained a single
wall of projectile points. We were
expecting a larger quantity but the
major disappointment came from
the display. It is hard to believe
that any Smithsonian Archaeologist would allow the points to
be displayed as schools of fish!
Overall, the museum exhibited
more skateboards than axes, celts,
discoidals, boat stones, plummets,
pipes and spades combined. We
questioned the Information Desk
and was told that the NMAI is
more of a cultural museum than a
historical museum.
The museum experience wasn’t a
total loss, it reinforced a very
important point.
We must keep our legal rights to
collect artifacts and preserve our
history. Archaeological Society’s are
constantly battling this issue for
us. Leaving history preservation
to only museum committees and
government bureaucrats risks
interpretations based on politics
and special interests.
It is inexcusable to represent our
Native American culture, history,
and heritage with European
products or a pair of beaded
Converse shoes while neglecting
thousands of years pre-1492.
As a result, our family created this
timeline to supplement the
missing 13,500 years ignored by
the Smithsonian - National
Museum of the American Indian.
Notes:
· Our collection is being built
using less than the
$759,000,000.00 of tax money
given each year to the
Smithsonian.
6
May 2010
ACOTW
TM
Respecting & Preserving The Ancient Legacy Of Native North
American Cultures Is An Individual & Collective Responsibility.
Scottsbluff
Lance Point
· We actually like Converse shoes
and skateboards, just not in our
Native American museums.
www.RelicShack.com
RelicShack.com
Item #: 11952
Providing education, identification
and authentic Native American
Indian arrowheads for sale.
Type: Scottsbluff
(7000 - 6500 BC)
Price: $950.00
Guarantee
Dimensions:
3-3/4" Long
All items sold by the Relic Shack
are guaranteed to be authentic. If
you are not satisfied for ANY
reason, please return the item
within 30 days of purchase for a
full refund of your purchase price
minus shipping and insurance
charges. All items must be
returned to same condition.
Found: Franklin
County, MO
Era: Early
Archaic (7000
BC - 5500 BC)
Description:
Classic Type II
with excellent
flaking. Blade
nick.
RelicShack.com
PO Box 1591
Lake Ozark, MO 65049
573-280-1788
[email protected]
Volume II, Number 5
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May 2010
ACOTW
TM
Naco Mammoth Kill Site ... Excavated In 1952 ... First To
Associate Clovis Weapons With Remains Of A Mammoth Kill.
The Naco Mammoth Kill Site is
an archaeological site in southeast
Arizona, near Naco, Arizona.
The site was reported to the
Arizona State Museum in
September 1951 by Marc
Navarrete, a local resident, after
his father found two Clovis points
in Greenbush Draw, while digging
out the fossil bones of a
mammoth.
Emil Haury excavated the Naco
mammoth site in April 1952.
In only five days, Haury recovered
the remains of a Columbian
Mammoth that had been killed by
the use of at least 8 Clovis points
about 10,000 years ago.
The Naco site was the first Clovis
mammoth kill association to be
identified.
References
“National Register Information
System”. National Register of
Historic Places. National Park
Service. 2009-03-13. http://
www.nr.nps.gov/.
Emil Haury at Ventana Cave, Naco,
and Lehner Ranch, Department of
Anthropology, University of
Arizona
Emil Haury (right) at Naco mammoth kill site, 1952. (Photos courtesy Arizona State Museum)
· Haury, Emil W. (1953) “Artifacts
with Mammoth Remains, Naco ,
Arizona : Discovery of the Naco
Mammoth and the Associated
Projectile Points”. American
Antiquity 19:1-14.
· Haury, Emil W., E. B. Sayles, and
William W. Wasley, 1986, “The
Lehner Mammoth Site
Southeastern Arizona”. In Emil W.
Haury’s Prehistory of the American
Southwest, edited by J. Jefferson
Reid and David E. Doyel, pp. 99–
145. University of Arizona Press,
Tucson.
A Clovis point “in situ” amidst mammoth bones at the Naco site, 1952
Volume II, Number 5
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May 2010
ACOTW
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Clovis points found in association with mammoth remains at Naco, Arizona. (Courtesy Arizona State Museum)
Volume II, Number 5
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May 2010
ACOTW
TM
The Lehner Mammoth Kill Site In Arizona ... Excavated In 19551956 ... Further Proved The Antiquity Of The Clovis Culture.
The Lehner Mammoth-Kill Site is
a site in southern Arizona that is
significant for its association with
evidence that mammoths were
killed here by Paleo-Indians 9000
years BCE.
In 1952, Ed Lehner discovered
extinct mammoth bone fragments
on his ranch, at the locality now
known as the Lehner MammothKill Site. He notified the Arizona
State Museum, and a summer of
heavy rains in 1955 exposed more
bones. Excavations took place in
1955-56, and again in 1974-75. In
the first season, two Clovis projectile points were found among
the ribs of a young mammoth.
Artifacts found during these
excavations included thirteen
fluted Clovis culture projectile
points, butchering tools, chipped
stone debris and fire hearth
features.
Excavations at the Lehner site, 1955,with the bone bed well exposed (Arizona State University).
Bones of a variety of game—
twelve immature mammoths, one
horse, one tapir, several bison, one
camel, one bear, several rabbits,
and a garter snake—were
excavated at the Lehner site.
The Lehner Mammoth kill and
camp site exhibited a number of
firsts: It was the first site
associated with the Clovis culture
to have definable fire hearths.
These hearths provided the first
radiocarbon dates for the culture
(9,000 B.C.).
This site was also the first to have
butchering tools in direct association with animal remains, and
the first Clovis association with
small animals, camel, and tapir.
Clovis point “in situ” near a bison mandible and mammoth bone at the Lehner site, 1955
In addition to the obvious artifact
remains, an inter-disciplinary
group of scientists including
archaeologists, botanists,
geochronologists, geologists,
paleontologists, palynologists, and
zoologists have studied and
interpreted a wide range of data
from the site that greatly adds to
our understanding of the past.
Land Management for the benefit
and education of the public.
The Lehner Mammoth-Kill Site
was declared a National Historic
Landmark in 1967.
“National Register Information
System”. National Register of
Historic Places. National Park
Service. 2007-01-23. http://
www.nr.nps.gov/.
Volume II, Number 5
In 1988, Mr. and Mrs. Lehner
donated the site to the Bureau of
10
References
May 2010
ACOTW
TM
Clovis points found with mammoth remains at the Lehner Site, Arizona. (Courtesy Arizona State Museum)
Volume II, Number 5
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May 2010
ACOTW
TM
e-Mail Letters:
April 17, 2010
Hi Scott,
Tom from Idaho here. Bought this arrow
with shaft attached on eBay last week. It
was from a collection being sold piece by
piece from someone’s grandfather. It said
petrified shaft but the entire item appears
to be metal? It was sold as an arrow find
from Lake Abert Oregon (should have
read Albert obviously) but I don’t believe
metal arrows were used. :) Maybe it’s
from Europe? See attached photos.
Would love your comments. Thanks.
Tom
April 17, 2010
April 17, 2010
Really appreciate the reply Scott,
It’s an interesting point. It was sold as
an Indian arrowhead with the shaft
still attached and the listing
mentioned “petrified” which really
piqued my interest. Obviously a 100%
metal piece not related to native
Americans. The piece responds to
magnet so it must be iron? The point
is almost perfectly flat and appears to
be a bit rusted, I guess. Lake Albert is
in the eastern Ore high desert area SE
of Bend. The seller mentioned the
collector (i.e. grandfather) was in the
WW1 or 2, so it could have been
picked up in Europe but included
with his eastern Oregon finds? I will
try to get more info from the seller.
By the way, really like your
newsletter, great info! We live in
Boise and find obsidian all over the
place. We’re 70 minutes from the
Owyhee which is nice...Talk soon!
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thanks for sending in the photos of the
metal arrow point. Is it iron or bronze?
The form of the point at the tip is quite
extraordinary if it was a metal European
or North American made trade point.
Most of those, which I have seen photos of
from various collections or in books,
appear to have been flat; but this seems to
have a central spine. It looks like the
spine in the point continues on as the
extended shaft. That looks like it has
metal wire wrapped around the central
metal shaft. Perhaps this whole wrapped
assembly was inserted into a wooden
arrow shaft, and the wrapping could have
been originally twisted around the
wooden shaft to hold the arrow point in
place. I have seen long bases like this on
old style Chinese bronze arrowheads,
which were used on arrows and on cross
bow bolts. Perhaps this one may even
have been from Asia, brought along for
trade or for protection by Chinese
immigrants who worked in Oregon on
railroad construction and mining
operations in the 1800s. I am not familiar
with Lake Albert. Where is it? This
might have some bearing on the source of
the metal point. Perhaps it also may have
come into the northwest on early Spanish
and English maritime explorations in the
1600s and 1700s. There are also long
traditions of Chinese explorations before
that time, in the 1300s and 1400s, which
would have had the bronze arrow points
mentioned above. It is a very interesting
point. Worthy of some further research.
Scott
Thank You!
Thanks to all who have ordered the first annual hard copy set of
“Arrowhead Collecting On The Web.” It presents all of the 2009
monthly eMagazines in a spiral bound volume personalized for your
arrowhead collector’s library.
For any who wish to order the “2009 ACOTW Bound Collection”, you may
click on this link here in this pdf file, or copy the text to your web browser:
www.ArrowheadCollectingOnTheWeb.com/Welcome-ACOTW.html
There is a secure PayPal ordering link on that page of our web site:
Volume II, Number 5
12
May 2010
ACOTW
TM
e-Mail Letters:
April 11, 2010
Scott,
This is one display of arrowheads
I found on my family farm near
Ila, Georgia. The brown
knife,yellow scraper,and the 2
gaming stones, I found [as they
are in the display] near my
father’s house. The small black
points were in an area of 100 feet
near a natural spring. In the other
photo, of arrowheads given to me,
the black knife and yellow scraper
on the corners of the display are
from my father’s collection; all of
the points are from the same
general area as my display. I look
forward to “arrowhead collecting
on the web” each month.
Regards,
Tom Smith
April 13, 2010
Hey Scott,
We are one day into our cross
country arrowhead adventure and
I thought I would send you some
pictures of what we’ve found so
far. These are from a large ranch
just east of Red Bluff, California.
A couple of neat mortars, a
triangular arrowhead (needle tip)
and a small thumb scraper
(guessing).
Hopefully more to come!
Jason Davis and son
April 13, 2010
Jason,
Thanks for your report and photos.
Hope you guys have an outstanding
adventure and a knowledge enriching
journey of discovery during your
“road school trip”. I am looking
forward to seeing what else you and
your son discover!
Scott
Publisher’s e-mail address:
fscottcrawford@
arrowheadcollectingontheweb.com
Volume II, Number 5
Jason’s son holds a small triangular arrowhead and an equally diminutive “thumb scraper” above a
large stone mortar, ground deeply by long use. Photographed east of Red Bluff, California.
13
May 2010
ACOTW
TM
Here Is Another “Archaic” Period Hammerstone. It’s Made
From A Quartzite Cobble, Found In 2008 By Ying Yan Ma In The
Gemfield Region Of Nevada’s High Desert Gold Country.
Hammerstone shown here at actual size.
Wild burros in the Gemfield mining region
of the Nevada desert, about 200 miles
northwest of Las Vegas, photographed in
May 2009 by Li Ting Kong.
Size of this hammerstone: 5” x 4-1/2” oval, by 1-1/4” thick.
Volume II, Number 5
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May 2010
ACOTW
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Jasper blade core shows where long prismatic blades were
removed from the chunk of stone, with the blade scars extending
the full length of the core. The remaining core measures about
2” in diameter and about 5” long.
And Here Is An Ancient “Gemfield” Jasper Blade Core Found In
2008 By The Author In Nevada’s High Desert Gold Country.
These Artifacts Prove Knowledge & Use Of Gemfield Jasper.
“Blade cores” are the remnant of a chunk of knapping
material, like jasper, flint, obsidian, etc., from which a
skilled knapper has removed a number of “blades”. The
blades are struck off of the central core from the end. The
end of the core is broken off across the roughly cylindrical
material to create an essentially flat surface for the
knapper to drive off the blades.
The author
watched the
production of
these three
flint blades by
Greg Nunn, in
2008.
They measure
about 3-1/2”
to 4” long by
7/8” to 1-1/4”
wide, and
about 1/8” to
3/16” thick.
The knapper uses either “direct percussion” with a
hammer stone or antler billet, or else he uses “indirect
percussion” with an intermediate “punch” like an antler
tine. The punch is placed against the flat end of the core
at the correct angle and struck with a heavy stone or
wooden hammer to drive off the blade.
Check out Greg Nunn’s archaeological research in applied flint
knapping at his web site: www.GregNunnFlintworks.com
Volume II, Number 5
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May 2010
ACOTW
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Two brown obsidian blades found about 2000 A.D. in Clark County, Nevada, by Clifford
Carney. These two beautifully worked blades were found in an area where a lot of off-road
dirt biking was occurring. Amazingly, there are only a couple of small edge and tip breaks
to detract from the overall perfection of these two outstanding examples of pressure
flaking performed by a highly skilled knapper. The blade on the left measures 7” long by
1-1/2” wide; the blade on the right measures 7-1/2” long by 1-3/8” wide.
A Word To The Wise, When You Consider Buying Artifacts On
The Internet Or In Person From An Individual Or A Company.
Collecting is an exciting activity, and enthusiasm is good, yet
caution is also necessary to
protect your long term interests
plus your satisfaction and
peace of mind as they are
dependent upon careful,
educated decisions.
Do not let the excitement of a
new find distract you from
careful consideration of the
authen-ticity and the
history of the point or
tool you are contemplating. If a story
sounds too good to be
true, likely it is too
good to be true.
Develop a relationship with the seller
so that you can
decide the level of
trust you can place
on his or her word.
Ask for as full an
account of the
history of the
point as may be
available.
This is called the
“provenance”
of the point. It
should include
the name of the
finder, the place,
the date, and a
description of the circumstances or special conditions
under which the discovery was
made.
Also you should ask for a full
list of previous owners of the
point or tool, if you are not
obtaining it from the original
finder. Whenever possible, you
should inquire about and even
Volume II, Number 5
require a certificate of
authenticity from a respected
source.
Almost any collector with
whom you speak will have a
story of how he bought a point
from someone whom he
thought was trustworthy, only
to find out later that the point
was either unknowingly or
even deliberately sold as
authentic, when in reality it
was a modern copy or reproduction point.
In addition, when you are
looking at possible “PaleoIndian” artifacts, it would be
16
well to keep in mind that in
most parts of the country, they
are very rare.
I know life-long students of
archaeology who have worked
all over the country on projects
covering the many eras of
human occupation on this
continent who have only ever
found one or two authentic
Paleo-Indian relics such as a
Clovis spear point or a
Folsom dart point. When
these points are discovered
in scientific excavations,
they are celebrated and
then carefully cataloged
for future study and
reference. If they are
found on private land,
these points and tools
are most often preserved and put away,
out of public view.
And sometimes,
if a collector has a good
Paleo-Indian point
which has been certified
and authenticated, he
might be tempted to
sell it, but this would
be quite unusual.
No artifact dealer
would ever want to sell
a high quality Folsom,
Clovis or Cumberland
point, for example,
without suggesting a
rather substantial price.
I say this to caution you and
to encourage you to carefully
consider claims of age, culture
and authenticity which you
will hear from collectors
and/or sellers of possibly
ancient artifacts.
May 2010
ACOTW
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Old Stone Age
Handaxe (Paleolithic),
age 200,000+/- years.
Artifact Authentication Services
& Certificates Of Authenticity
You can use a
jeweler’s Lupe 8X
magnifier, just to
begin the high
enlargement
examination of an
artifact, to look for
edge wear and
tool marks.
Authentication and evaluation
services for artifacts from all
over the world are available
from a number of highly
respected sources.
Some offer these services for
regional items, since they
specialize in Western, or South
Western, or South Eastern, or
North Central or North Eastern
artifact types.
And most of the authenticators
have web sites. Read up on
their services, learn about their
specialties, obtain pricing and
timing information, and determine how to send items for
authentication and evaluation.
Here are some well known and
respected authenticators:
Dwain Rogers
Texas Flint Authentication
4102 Birch Avenue
Temple, Texas 76502
Telephone: 1-254-791-5520
Jeff Baker
Baker Authentication
www.BakerCOA.com
P.O. Box 772
Paragould, Arkansas 72451
Telephone: 1-870-239-9722
Volume II, Number 5
Bill Jackson
Jackson Galleries
www.JacksonGalleries.com
P.O. Box 1005
Mount Sterling , Kentucky 40353
Telephone: 1-800-466-3836
Fax: 1-859-499-0160
Tom Davis
Davis Artifacts, Inc.
www.TomDavisArtifacts.com
P.O. Box 676
Stanton, Kentucky 40380
Telephone: 1-606-663-2741
Ben Stermer
Western Typology
www.WesternTypology.com
44207 W McClelland Dr.
Maricopa, Arizona 85238
email: [email protected]
Jeb Taylor
Jeb Taylor Artifacts
P.O. Box 882
Buffalo, Wyoming 82834
Telephone: 1-307-737-2347
Ken Partain
www.kensrelics.com
7044 Market Street
Dover, Arkansas 72837
Telephone: 1-479-331-3486
Sam Cox
www.SamCoxArtifacts.com
968 Floyd Drive
Lexington, Kentucky 40505
Telephone: 1-859-351-5675
17
http://www.Stormbroek.com
A European artifact gallery,
which offers quality antiquities
from all historic eras, and all
areas around the world.
eBay Store: Stormbroek
Scottsbluff Spear
Point, late Paleo, early
Archaic period, age
8,000 to 10,000 years.
eBay store: SWArkArtifacts
eBay ID: “razrbk”
Dealer located in Arkansas, features
authentic artifacts from the south/
central United States, many with
Certificates of Authenticity.
eBay Store: SWarkArtifacts
May 2010
Clovis culture spear point reported to have been found in Charlotte County, Virgina, in the 1950’s. Actual size: 5-5/8” long by 1-1/2” wide. This artifact is
Number One in a series, presented by www.ArrowheadCollectingOnTheWeb.com © 2010. All rights reserved. F. Scott Crawford, Carrollton, Texas.
Providing Precision-Crafted Projectile Points
Since Before The Dawn Of Civilization.
TM
ClovisKnappersUnlimited LLC
NorthAmericanRockWellMade
International patents registered 13,500 B.P.
A wholly-owned subsidiary of NewWorldLithicTechnologies, LLC.

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