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Any artifact junkies out there?

Booner

Booner

Well-Known Member
I had never done any searching up until yesterday after a good buddy's dad had found an unbelievable ax while doing some cultivating a week or so ago. While we were out mushroom hunting yesterday I was in a field that in previous years had produced some great artifacts. 30 minutes into the search I was holding my first ever point. It's crazy the feeling one gets after picking something up for the first time knowing until today the last person who had touched this piece was of native american decent, pretty crazy. Well needless to say I was hooked.

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Did some research last night and found some of the other farms I have access to are known locations as well. Did a quick walk today as the conditions from what I've been told were perfect today, overcast and just had a rain causing the points to "pop" from the black dirt. To my surprise today produced not only my second ever find but my third as well. Who knows if I'll ever find anything else, as yesterday and today were crazy lucky finds but for now I'll ride it out and soak in the excitement.

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Very cool. Our farm in Illinois is loaded with artifacts and I love to go out searching. Haven't been for a few years but still find some nice points during the turkey season. If I get time I will post some pics up. Great finds for sure, another addiction for you!!!

Kratz
 
My grandparents farm is loaded with them. My granny had a big jar full of different types of heads. I found one once after the ground was tilled up. Never went looking for them though but they are out there. Pretty cool finds you got there!
 
Nice finds! You're right, this is an excellent time of the year to find them. I have never gotten into it too much myself, but I know some people who are SUPER serious about it. So I have learned a little bit by listening to them.

One guy I know basically will follow a disk being towed down the road to see which field it is going to. Freshly disked field, right after a good rain...that's what they are looking for.
 
Way cool! I find tons of worked pieces and pottery shards out here, but they are all on Federal land (NPS, BLM, FS), which makes it illegal for me to collect them. Still great to find them, though! I did find a worked point on my BIL's ranch in south Texas a few years ago. You could see where a piece was inadvertently broken, which I'm guessing is why it wasn't finished.
 
AZHunter said:
Way cool! I find tons of worked pieces and pottery shards out here, but they are all on Federal land (NPS, BLM, FS), which makes it illegal for me to collect them. Still great to find them, though! I did find a worked point on my BIL's ranch in south Texas a few years ago. You could see where a piece was inadvertently broken, which I'm guessing is why it wasn't finished.
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Yea it's a bit confusing as to why you can't pick up any "artifacts" on any state owned property. Rules up here state no "defacing" of any state owned property which later I comprehended after picking a few old timers brains that infact it was illegal to search these areas. Wonder how many people don't abide by this law or even know that's infact a law.
 
Love it as much as shed hunting, Every time I am in the creek I am looking, been blessed to find a few good ones in our little creek.
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Bad pic's sorry I have better one's but just hurried up to snap a few to post,

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Hopefully that worked, That bigger one is a once in a lifetime find, have already had a 1500.00 dollar over for it, but will not sell it.
 
Bow gal,
Those are some awesome points!! I have a good buddy whose family was big into it. Apparently just like everything else it "use" to be much better decades ago when farmers actually plowed fields. Seems it's a lot harder to find good quality stuff. If you don't mind me asking, what makes one creek say more productive in terms of finding points than another creek??? From the stuff I've gathered obvious spots such as fields along bluffs close to a water source and high points in a field are great places to look but i have heard by many creeks are where you find your "fully connected" points. Just curious as I literally walked my first field Sunday!
 
Booner said:
Bow gal,
Those are some awesome points!! I have a good buddy whose family was big into it. Apparently just like everything else it "use" to be much better decades ago when farmers actually plowed fields. Seems it's a lot harder to find good quality stuff. If you don't mind me asking, what makes one creek say more productive in terms of finding points than another creek??? From the stuff I've gathered obvious spots such as fields along bluffs close to a water source and high points in a field are great places to look but i have heard by many creeks are where you find your "fully connected" points. Just curious as I literally walked my first field Sunday!
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The people that I know that are serious artifact hunters definitely favor high ground that overlooks a river bottom or water system. That makes sense to me in terms of where Indians may have been likely to reside. I would suppose then that creeks near such an area would be better, as it would be more likely that the Indians would have hunted more in areas near to where they lived.

It would also stand to reason that points in a field may have been damaged by a disk or plow through the years, where a point in the creek bed would not be as likely to be similarly damaged.
 
Booner, I have found a few in the fields, That one dovetail point ( if you know which one that is, would of been a gem of a find if not broken- It , Broke my heart that I know we broke it will digging out our foundation,for the new house, it was laying in the back yard when I found it,
As far as what make's one creek more productive then another, I am not the one to ask , we have always had land that has big ridge top's, and many year's of old CRP ground that had never been disturbed, until we started working these area's for new food plot work,, Get out there after every heavy rain your area get's,, My best point's have been found in the creek area's , But never doubt what you might find in the fields, Go back many year's and do some research on the Native tribe's your area once held, My Father in law bought me an arrow head collection at an auction 2 year's ago from the Cahokia Mound's area in Il, I have got some beauties, but that collection is not as special to me as finding the ones on our own land-, Sorry I could ramble on this all night,
 
Thanks ladies and gents. Chalk one up for another addicting hobby! It's just crazy to think of how much work went into each point and even today how hard some of these points would be to fabricate. The only reason I asked about creeks is due to the obvious of crops simply being to tall to walk here in a couple weeks. I know that's the last thing my farmers want is a rock hunter out trompin over their crop.

I've heard that in certain instances as Davers stated, your creek finds are more likely undesturbed and higher odds of finding those fully connected points. And with no other choice of stuff to walk i figured creeks would be an interesting hunt. I've heard guys walking river banks as well but that seems like a needle on a haystack compared to a small stream/creek. I've been quiet a bit of research over the past couple days and have found some great info. Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to get back after it on a couple good lookin spots!
 
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Spring 2019 so far. The birdie, is only my second cre'me de la cre'me in 35 years of addiction.

All creek finds in a single trip. The vicious melt off we had moved mucho material. Now get to the farm fields after the rains! :)


Count me in. IMG_0001.JPG IMG_0003.JPG
 
I just took up the hobby a year ago. I'm in an area that they have been found, but after 21 hours in the field, I've so far drawn a blank. It's pretty cool to see all the points and tools others have found. I'm going to keep after them...
 
How u found that in corn is wild! Great eyes!!!!! I’ve found one in my life. Lot of guys around walk creeks after rain. I need to adjust my eyes & start looking!
 
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