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  • AL - where to start?

    Hi all, newer member from Alabama here! After finding my first artifact by sheer accident, though unsure of possible age of it, I have been inspired to really continue searching now. Many of you helpfully said it appeared to be a knife head - made of Quartz! The artifact was actually found laying in shallow water of our creek branch. I'm curious to know how to proceed with searching for more.

    While the water is very very shallow, the banks on the side of some parts is over 5 ft tall. Other areas have collapsed/eroded. Our soil is primarily red clay, but the banks near the branch are a very nice grey clay. We have quite a bit of trees around the area, including some very large old Oaks. I can't identify some of the rocks, but we have lots of quartz and sandstone in it. Limestone in many areas around us.


    How should I continue to search - walking and observing the creek, panning the sediment in the creek, or digging up at the top of the bank? If digging, how can I carefully do so?

    Another quick question - how would you recommend cleaning my finds? Thanks kindly.

  • #2
    1st....research laws surrounding artifact hunting in your state....some states differ on what you can and cant do.....on private land, get permission.....you can find artifacts in all ways you mention.....surface hunt, sifting and digging......any where near water sources are a great place to start.....construction sites are a good option when land is being cleared, plowed fields, gravel bars in creeks/rivers.......research content in this site and search you tube for ideas......thats a start....others will come along and have other input.....thanks for the inquiry homesteadđź‘Ť
    Benny / Western Highland Rim / Tennessee

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    • #3
      After some searching, luckily it seems A-OK as this is private family land

      Will definitely do some more searching

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      • #4
        Id like to add that not all locations will produce.....what seems like a good location....may not be.....learn the lithic types in your area in which points are predominantly made from....when hunting, look for debitage...you start finding "flakes", then slow down and keep looking, something will turn up.....you found that point/knife.....so, gotta be something else around....dont give up and keep looking.....good luck out there
        Benny / Western Highland Rim / Tennessee

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        • #5
          any rock bars or bends in the creek branch? Rock bars are deposit areas. Bends can be good places too look to as the water course may slow there droping the rocks that were moved during high water periods. Look at thee creek banks too. I was watching a video of a guy and his son in a boat and the son spoted an axehead sticking out of the bank. You never know where something will turn up. All I can advise is keep looking down til your neck hurts.
          TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

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          • Tam
            Tam commented
            Editing a comment
            I saw that too .

        • #6
          This little creek branch definitely has some bends in it, and I will have to take a good walk and refresh if there are any rock bars to it. Like I was talking about above, a LOT of gray clay on the sides of the banks. I'll take some photos of it when I can get back down. Looked up some lithic info and found a site that shows the different stones used to make points in my state.

          Definitely going to keep looking every time we are near the branch.

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          • #7
            I'd spend some time walking the creek, and getting your eyes calibrated to spotting finds. Depending on the creek bottom, lots of people build a little sifter (wire mesh on a wooden frame to wash gravel.

            I'd avoid digging out the creek bank until you've really explored the property and creek and figure out the lay of the land as it were.
            Hong Kong, but from Indiana/Florida

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            • #8
              Hello Homesteading..keep up the creek walking. Everything ends up in the creeks. Eroding banks are good...mother nature is doing the digging for you
              Creek Walking is all I do and I enjoy it. Tried sifting.....NOT. Tried digging......NOT. Sore Neck and everything starts looking the same....YES.
              Have fun and find lots.

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              • #9
                POINT MAN - I've made three trips so far through the creek branch. No luck so far - spent two days walking the whole strip of property water. Went back today and it's already shifted alot, did some walking but no luck today either. Bank erosion is actually opening up about 2 and 3 ft high deposits of quartz, so I am definitely continuing to search.

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                • #10
                  you got it brother...

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                  • #11
                    I have walked many a creek mile in the same creek system probably 2 to 3 times a month. I have gone for Months without finding anything; BUT eventually I come across

                    something that is a keeper or a killer. Stay with it.........

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                    • #12
                      Well no luck as of yet again, still grateful for the first and only find thus far! I keep my head down every time I walk the trail and I make visits to the creek often. I will have to do some clearing as my path is getting grown up with weeds down in the woods, lots of ivy out already.

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                      • #13
                        What part of the state are you in? Walking creeks in my area can be tricky just because of the amount of natural flint and quartz . It’s probably the least popular way to look for artifacts.Your eyes need to learn to make the worked pieces “pop”/stand out. Keep at it and you’ll get better and better. Its my favorite way to hunt for them.

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                        • #14
                          Wanted to touch base and say the last few months has been busy here, no creek branch walking due to lots of overgrowth in Summer. BUT, I have found another knife point near where our goat barn is. Have today found a piece of pottery and wonder if it is older. Will make some new posts!

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