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Iron “trade point”...?

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  • Iron “trade point”...?

    Was digging in my site in a most unusual pit. 10 yards from my house and a decades long garden site. I’ve encountered roughly a foot of small construction debris...not colonial...somewhat modern... Finding nails, screws, a couple, stainless!! Bits of yarn, tin foil, charcoal, brick, wire connector, etc. It may have be a construction trash pile from mid sixties. But it’s fairly deep from about 4” to 12-14” deep. Where I could still find a nail or two, I found this rhyolite “tip” and this rusty....”whatever”...?!?!? I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks like a point. Could it be a trade point from early colonial period? It seems logical as I am digging on a several acre, Native American summer camp, that was occupied as far back as Late Archaic through Woodland to colonial. Because I also found debris from modern construction, I don’t want to call it a “trade point” only to find some builder or contractor tell me it’s a “direction indicator” for a duct pipe or some other modern device...Ha!?!? I need help. Point or part of modern device?
    Attached Files

  • #2
    I don’t know but, those are cool. Does it have a flat cross section?
    Floridaboy.

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    • Hal Gorges
      Hal Gorges commented
      Editing a comment
      P.S.,it looks like it has a higher than usual amount of iron than trade points.

  • #3
    It looks like the right shape to me but like you i have never found one or held one
    South East Ga. Twin City

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    • #4
      I’m gonna guess this, , only my opinion.
      Click image for larger version

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      Attached Files
      Floridaboy.

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      • #5
        what is the thickness of it?
        TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

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        • #6
          Ive never seen one with that “wide“ of and a “looping”base, but I for sure havent seen them all.
          Besides trading, they “modified different “materials “ they had access to. Afriend has a “fry pan handle made into a knife and have seen several “brass” points
          It has that general “ size and shape and rusting.
          Put in your keeper frame and as your digging and researching about broadens, we’ll all learn about it.
          N.E Colorado, Nebraska panhandle

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          • Hal Gorges
            Hal Gorges commented
            Editing a comment
            And treat it to stop oxidation.

        • #7
          Seems to be a bulb of rust on one face, obverse side seems to be a indention . Most trade points have a hole in the blade. ( Don’t poke it out!) if it is a hole that has created the rust bulb !
          Lubbock County Tx

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          • GreatMarsh
            GreatMarsh commented
            Editing a comment
            Good observation! It does have a bulb. Opposite side seems slightly concave. It puzzles me! Almost like it was two made originally from two pieces, perhaps fastened by the “bulb”...? Opposite side missing now. Thickness (per someone else’s question) is a little less than a 1/16”. Corrosion has probably taken some thickness away, but it is a good thickness for an arrow point and about the same as I have seen for genuine colonial era arrow points either obtained by trade or hammered and cut by natives themselves from various available media.

        • #8
          I dont recall any with holes in base but would like to see more.
          N.E Colorado, Nebraska panhandle

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          • #9
            You might consider electrolysis...we use it on shipwreck stuff in Florida.
            Floridaboy.

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            • Fat
              Fat commented
              Editing a comment
              Do you use a stainless steel “pot” and a 12volt battery charger?

            • Hal Gorges
              Hal Gorges commented
              Editing a comment
              By we, I mean Mel and his boys, I never found enough of anything to preserve. Lol...how does the pot and battery work, that sound like something I could’ve used..do you use it on trade points,?

            • Fat
              Fat commented
              Editing a comment
              I have used on to remove rust from cast iron.
              I collect wagner&griswold too...
              There is where I learned.
              Tools,vice grips and cresent wrenches

          • #10
            Click image for larger version

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ID:	491728 Hi Greatmarsh Pictured is an 1840's Two Kettle Sioux war arrow. My father bought it off an attic from someone's house. It has been researched by Lee Haleman, Pa. Primitive Archery expert. Lee used very old feathers to re-fletch it. And a fresh coat of paint. I have several of these, this is the only one that I had re-done because it was the worst one. I also have the quiver and arrow pouch. The point is original. You can see it like most others are more slim than your point. Too much iron content. I think you have an arrowhead but I don't know how old it might be. And I' m not going to guess. Kim
            Knowledge is about how and where to find more Knowledge. Snyder County Pa.

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            • GreatMarsh
              GreatMarsh commented
              Editing a comment
              Nice piece! Thanks for your input. I’m skeptical enough about mine that it won’t go in the same case as the stone finds from my site. Not certain that it isn’t some other metal oddity, old, rusty, but not part of Native American life in my yard.

          • #11
            I know ZERO about metal trade points, but I'm wondering if it's a tooth off an old farm implement? Sickle mower? Dunno, just throwing that out to see if it sticks?!?!
            Western Kentucky

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            • #12
              The sickle mower in those days looked like the one grim reaper carrys.
              I just posted these two
              N.E Colorado, Nebraska panhandle

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              • GreatMarsh
                GreatMarsh commented
                Editing a comment
                From your photos, I’d say you nailed it! Additional support to your theory is that where I found it was an entry point and staging area for a major salt “marsh hay” operation. So any connection to sickle mowers would be extremely possible/likely, if that’s how they harvested the marsh hay. What I can’t see, however, is where such a thin and wimpy piece of sheet metal would have figure into a sickle mower. My piece and your photos is showing something thin. Looking at photos of vintage sickle mowers, I see really strong, forged “teeth”...nothing sheet metal. What would my point be? It can’t be the powerful, stout, tooth to the sickle comb. Yet, your photo looks very much like what I found!

            • #13
              Im going to have to study the history of mow machines more.
              scythe is old haying tool.
              N.E Colorado, Nebraska panhandle

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