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First Massachusetts find and first post

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  • First Massachusetts find and first post

    Greetings from MA.

    I have been interested in arrowheads forever, but have never managed to find one in the wild. I sort of assumed that good spots in north-shore suburban MA either have houses on them or have been turned over yearly for the last 300 years. So, after reading a lot this winter, I am making an effort this season to actually walk around and look for relics rather than to dismiss the whole state as "fished out around here - should move to Illinois".

    I had a touch of spring fever and started walking a field two weeks ago and found something. It was in a tractor rut that had sluiced runoff during a rainstorm. I didnt take an in-situ photo because I honestly thought that this was clinker or a bit of broken roofing slate. Once I had totally ruined the spot where I found it, I thought...dang - probably should have taken a picture.

    Seems to be made of knappable stone (rather than slate) - dark gray/black, heavy - possibly Onondaga chert? I'm guessing a point resharpened into a knife? Very heavy patina, broken tip, diamond shaped cross section(blade) oval cross section at the widest area (hafting area).

    Found in Essex Co MA. within sight of the Ipswich river, but not really close to the river.

    Can anyone help on style/era of this?

    -Peter





  • #2
    Very nice find congratulations. It might be difficult to get a proper ID on that because of the heavily resharpened appearance . The base looks like it is contarcted maybe a resharpened Snook Kill or Atlantic. the base does seem on the long side for these but not impossible. I do not think it is a fox creek . ???
    TN formerly CT Visit our store http://stores.arrowheads.com/store.p...m-Trading-Post

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    • #3
      Heavily resharpened, but yeah it’s a knife IMO. Could have been a Fox creek stemmed. And looks to be made of a rhyolite or possibly a felsite? Nice find too! And btw, Mass. is loaded with artifacts so keep up the search! Where ever you found that go back and look again!
      call me Jay, i live in R.I.

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      • #4
        Welcome and congratulations!
        Searching the fields of NW Indiana and SW Michigan

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        • #5
          Thanks for the possible ID's on the points. The only book I have is an older copy of Overstreet - and I flipped around and found a few things that were vaguely similar, but nothing jumped out at me. Hard to find anything in that book that is from the northeast. Looks like the base is contracted a bit, but no idea. Whatever it is, Im seriously happy to have found it.

          Rhyolite/Felsite - might be right - there is so much patina - not really sure what the original rock looks like. I drove past that area again today to see if anyone had turned the field - not yet. Im headed back there soon anyway. Get as much recon in as I can before the mosquitoes come out.

          Im glad to hear that there are finds left in MA. I have been scratching around in an area that is (only) 15-20 miles away from the Bull Brook site - hope springs eternal - so maybe those folks stopped off for a night or two on their way to Ipswich? Hahaha.







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          • #6
            Nice find ... that's cool. ..welcome from Connecticut
            SW Connecticut

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            • #7
              Welcome!
              South Dakota

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              • #8
                Def rhyolite or felsite as onewiththewild points out im not sure whos rite tho almost looks like maybe a knife that was repurposed as a drill and broken in usejust my 2 cents .

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