beach combing finds

[momandboys]

I am new here so bear with me, my son found what looked like a glass arrowhead near Chesapeake beach Maryland several years ago, it was in the sand. I was not convinced at the time thought it was wishful thinking and stuck it with our sea glass collection. then this past month I found what looks like a jasper or chert arrowhead. what do you the experts think?

 

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[pkb]

experts need a pic !

 

[jewelerguy]

personally, I believe the chert one is an arrowhead without a doubt. the other I believe is a piece of broken glass tumbled by the sea

 

[lil_eric30]

Nice finds! Very cool!

 

[smokeythecat]

Chert one is an arrowhead for sure. Natives probably would not have used glass as arrowheads and 1 shot and it's glass shards.

 

[Msbeepbeep]

Welcome! Congrats on your finds! Maybe the "glass" arrow head was part of a novelty gift or something ?

 

[Argentium]

Are you convinced that it is glass ? It does seem a bit too distinctly arrowhead shaped to be randomly formed from a broken piece of glass .

 

[PeteWmass]

actually- Native Americans did use glass when it started appearing (remember...obsidian is volcanic glass) - its really hard to make arrowheads out of unless you have a really thick piece (and flat...) -Ive found some pieces of glass that were worked and given up on - by the time glass was widespread - arrows were on the way out (or using rolled copper points...etc) - more likely to use glass for cutting blades.....I bet that is an arrowhead which has subsequently worn down.....

 

[momandboys]

Are you convinced that it is glass ? It does seem a bit too distinctly arrowhead shaped to be randomly formed from a broken piece of glass .

Thank you for the replies! Yes I am convinced the one in question is made of glass, we have a large sea glass collection and it is "weathered" in the same way. I have also convinced myself that it is authentic...... The shape matches perfectly to ones that I have seen on a local museums website but it could be a novelty gift that someone threw into the Chesapeake bay. I am going to email the pictures to a archeology museum that is nearby to the beach where the arrowhead(s) were found. I will let you know what they have to say......

 

[dig kzoo]

Nice finds, the glass piece arrowhead or not is cool!

 

[momandboys]

Hi Everyone,

I actually heard back from the museum archeologist! He confirmed that both finds are in fact "projectile" points. One is a Levanna and the other Calvert. He thinks the glass like one is really quartz but then I emailed a picture that shows the glass one looking greenish. He was unsure why it was green and said that glass arrowheads were very rare and this one is the wrong shape for the wrong time period. He welcomed me to come in and meet with him so he could have a closer look.

This is so fun, I feel compelled to go and hunt some more. To think of all the jasper edges that we have overlooked all these years because we were hunting sharks teeth. To bad we moved to CT and will not be able to visit again until the holidays. Ho hum.