Amazing Find!!

[josh34]

Hey everyone, here is an unbelievable point I found this morning while sifting river gravel. The asphaultum hafting is still attached, and even more amazing is a piece of the wooden shaft is still present. I'm not sure what to do with it or how to preserve it, i'm leaving it in a cup of water till I get some more info. I'm thinking the wood is the most fragile part and if I let it dry out it might disintegrate. Any suggestions would be appreciated. By the way,this was found in SE Texas. Thanks, Josh

 

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[Mental Granny]

Wow this is the coolest point I have ever seen very deserving I am so happy for your BANNER find!

 

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[N.J.THer]

Thanks everyone for all the comments and I appreciate you guys putting this on the banner. I'm still blown away by this find,its pretty unbelieveable that this artifact survived for so long. I am trying to contact an archaeologist so I can find a way to preserve it and I'm still keeping it in water. As far as the age goes, I really don't know, my guess would be a archaic point, maybe a Gary. I guess there is no way to be sure without an X-ray, or carbon dating of the wood. I'm trying to handle it as little as possible, but I'm going to take it out and take a few more pics that I will post. Thanks again, Josh

Josh,
Any updates
Thanks
NJ

 

[woody50]

Keep it in water as close to the same water as where you got it from.
DON'T put it in distilled water - Deionized water will actually leach things from it's surroundings faster than normal tap water.
If I were you, I'd get a small container, place some gravel from the same river bed in the bottom, then place the tip on top of the gravel so it's "held in place" and then cover the whole thing with the same river water you got it from.

Take it to a good university or museum as soon as you can and see if they can help you with it. I suppose there is the risk that some organization or other will try to "claim" it from you, but it's still worth it to preserve it.

What an amazing artifact - never seen anything like it, in a museum or outside of one! Congratulations!

Josh, I hope you have taken the suggestion of Cubfan (above). That is the only way to keep it safe until the proper people can preserve it. DONT try it yourself. The problem with preservation of this object is that there are three ingredients in it. You have to know which process will not damage one of them during preservation. This is a job for professionals, not amateurs. Trust me and the others that have given good advice.

DO NOT use tap water or distilled water! Always keep an object which can deteriorate in the SAME environment where it came out of. THAT is the only way. Try to keep it also at the same temperature, so from a river about that temperature, maybe in the ice box would be OK.

The above pertains to any object you find in the ground or water that is organic, including leather, wood and that sort of material.

DO not wait too long. The object is out of its normal environment and bacteria, rot and mold will attack it. It needs, like I mentioned, professional help.

I see that this post is from September. I am curious as to why you have not given an update to this post.

It IS a top find! Congratulations.

 

[woody50]

WOW!! I believe it's servived in the water for a few [thousand? ] yr's, a few more weeks /mo's propably won't harm it , your doing the smart thing. I think the wood should be secondery to the asphaultum , don't go throwing it in any polyethylene glycol or somthing untill you are SURE it won't harm the asphaultum . Now if you wanted an X-ray of it , I'd go to your local hospital at about 9 P.M. go on down to radiology and find a bord-looking Radiologist, have him/her "run" a "test" ... with your point .

You are correct, with this sort of find you should NOT do anything. Keep it in the same water and environment where it came from at the same temperature, and contact the professionals.

 

[woody50]

I always thought that finds like that were made in a dry desert arid cave environment....what a treasure! Thanks so much for sharing....Steve

Steve such a find can be found on the desert, but only the arrow/spear head would be left. The rest would be turned to dust long ago. Something like this can only survive if under water, no wood worms, and better under a layer of mud.

 

[fossis]

Congratulations on your fantastic find.
It seems 'we Amateurs' can contribute quite a lot to finding Ancient Treasures.

Fossis..............

 

[Ron06]

OK Josh, Its time for an update!

 

[scotto]

Awesome, glad this was bumped for the noobs to see.

 

[Lone Star]

Josh, Way to go man. That is truly a find of a lifetime. Congrats!! G

 

[Treefrog]

congrats on such a great find, Love seeing stuff like that happen to people who are there looking for that.
Tree

 

[creek astronaut]

very killer,congrats!