A Question About CREEKS and ARROWHEADS

[BrettCo124]

Hey all,

This will mark my second year of searching for arrowheads. Last year was mainly a learning curve for me. This year, I want to make it finally happen! I still have yet to find an arrowhead in my creek, and I thought I'd ask you for your professional advice:


I have a creek that runs through my backyard basically. Its highly accessible for me, and I don't need permission to be in it. I like the thought of being able to possibly extract an arrowhead from this creek. The creek is wide (25 feet wide I'd say), it has a ton of areas of creek stones that build up along the banks. It has a mix of stony/sandy bottom. It has areas of fast, running water, and areas of slow moving water. There is evidence of erosion on the banks in most spots I see. The bank to the surface ground above I'd say is 5-6 feet tall.

Would you personally search any creek, at any location, anywhere, if you did not want to travel to find spots that could have been living quarters for Indians? This is essentially what I keep doing. I search through the stony buildup area and on the banks, but with no luck in finding anything. I know that I can search farm land, and other parts of the creek, or another creek all-together. I'm just curious if you all believe that all creeks hold Indian artifacts? Would you keep checking this one stretch of creek if you didn't feel like traveling any further (I'm not lazy, just curious about right in front of my house only), or would you say its a needle in a haystack?

Also, I never found any flint pieces, but please remember, I just got in to this hobby last year and didn't really give it 100 percent just yet. In addition, I was told that the creek did have Indians, but they would pass on through it, rather than set up homes along it.

Thanks all!

Brett

 

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[NCPeaches]

The question about the pottery. Your piece you were asking about has the glaze common to modern day flower pots although the unglazed side does look similar to Native American pottery. I find flower pot pieces and red brick chips too and it can be tricky to tell them apart from the artifacts. The one thing that differentiates them is the temper material and how they look on the edges. I thought the red one was a piece of flower pot at first but when I picked it up to look closer I saw the temper and the hard to see plant fossil that I see on almost all the pottery I find. It's hard to describe the plant fossils/material and I haven't found pics of them yet when I google it, but once you've seen them your eye is drawn to them, kinda look like delicate flowers or tiny seed heads commonly seen in the woods to me anyway lol

 

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[BrettCo124]

The question about the pottery. Your piece you were asking about has the glaze common to modern day flower pots although the unglazed side does look similar to Native American pottery. I find flower pot pieces and red brick chips too and it can be tricky to tell them apart from the artifacts. The one thing that differentiates them is the temper material and how they look on the edges. I thought the red one was a piece of flower pot at first but when I picked it up to look closer I saw the temper and the hard to see plant fossil that I see on almost all the pottery I find. It's hard to describe the plant fossils/material and I haven't found pics of them yet when I google it, but once you've seen them your eye is drawn to them, kinda look like delicate flowers or tiny seed heads commonly seen in the woods to me anyway lol

i can picture exactly what you mean. I will be more inclined now to check all pottery pieces. How about that stone I found in the photo above with the deep groove notched in to it? Could it be something?

 

[NCPeaches]

The stone I would hang on to and try to get better pics of it. Set your phone pic setting to close up and go outside and get some pics so the grain of the stone will show up clear. Also, I'm terrible at stone ID unless it's been flaked and is obvious I have no clue. Also, I found a small round stone artifact that I could get no ID on last year only to find out from the local archaeologist that it is a game stone. Some things can't be determined from pics so hang on to it and when you get the opportunity ask a local expert. By the way, we had a strong rain storm last nite and I know it moved some sand around and will be going out there this afternoon so remember after a strong rain storm your odds are much better to find things. Good luck!

 

[BagLady]

Lol really? The creek looks like that type of a creek? And here, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Lol

As any prospector will tell you, "Gold is where you find it"....except in Mississippi...There's gold found in rivers and creeks in the states all around you, so no reason to think there couldn't be gold in your creek. It is a good looking creek for prospecting.
Read up on some of the posts in the Gold Prospectors Forum here.

 

[BrettCo124]

As any prospector will tell you, "Gold is where you find it"....except in Mississippi...There's gold found in rivers and creeks in the states all around you, so no reason to think there couldn't be gold in your creek. It is a good looking creek for prospecting.
Read up on some of the posts in the Gold Prospectors Forum here.

Well I am just learning new stuff every time I check this thread. Thanks for yet another exciting addition to things I can be doing on the creek. I went to the store today and bought new Bogs boots for the creek and a nice pair of gloves. I'm all set to go with all of the information I have been given.

Thanks again to all who helped on this thread. I'm sure many people in the future will also find this highly useful. When I get my first find, I will post it and thank you all again because it will be because of you that I find it. Thanks again and happy hunting to you all

 

[8mygritz]

never actually found 1 in a creek,but i did find 1(rock) at the beach in the surf while looking for sharks teeth.a few days later i found a large tooth that was some type of scraper/tool.this island in nc is well know for its native am. artifacts.they are almost identical in size & shape(2 1/2"long).2 very lucky finds.

 

[monsterrack]

It's a very good chance that there are artifacts in that creek. Where I live there are artifacts in every creek, but some are just harder to see them due to gravel and sand. Take the time to sit down and knock some flakes off of other stone and try to train your eyes to what a flake pattern looks like. Study books for shapes of other artifacts, but you may have to expand your search area. Just because you have not found anything on your spot does not mean they are not there. All artifact hunters will tell you that you have to put in the time and the miles. I have walked 5 miles in a creek and only find chips, an then go back after a good washing from a heavy rain and find a pocket full of points. Good Luck

 

[rock]

It's a very good chance that there are artifacts in that creek. Where I live there are artifacts in every creek, but some are just harder to see them due to gravel and sand. Take the time to sit down and knock some flakes off of other stone and try to train your eyes to what a flake pattern looks like. Study books for shapes of other artifacts, but you may have to expand your search area. Just because you have not found anything on your spot does not mean they are not there. All artifact hunters will tell you that you have to put in the time and the miles. I have walked 5 miles in a creek and only find chips, an then go back after a good washing from a heavy rain and find a pocket full of points. Good Luck

So true and it takes a while to understand the water flow as to how and where the artifacts might be. Soil color on the banks and this year I have learned to look down stream from fallen trees looking to see if something might of washed out from the root system in the trunk section. Lots to learn and understand but lots of fun.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

After heavy rains when water recedes look behind any fallen trees logs etc for artifacts that washed over the obstruction then fell behind it and out of the current. I use to find hundreds of points by doing this, heavy weeds, brush, logs, rocks anything that obstructs the flow of the current is good place to look...

 

[BrettCo124]

Great advice, all! I actually know of a spot where there is a huge fallen tree blocking half of the creek, and water pours over it like a little waterfall. I recall seeing a nice indentation on the other side in the creek bed, where the water constantly strikes from going over the fallen tree. There is always a buildup of gravel sitting in it and not moving in the hole. I bet when the water recedes, it will be a great place to look in!

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Great advice, all! I actually know of a spot where there is a huge fallen tree blocking half of the creek, and water pours over it like a little waterfall. I recall seeing a nice indentation on the other side in the creek bed, where the water constantly strikes from going over the fallen tree. There is always a buildup of gravel sitting in it and not moving in the hole. I bet when the water recedes, it will be a great place to look in!

I found more than a few artifacts at bottom of small waterfalls where they became stuck in hole made by the falling water.