copper spear point

[rac7658]

i found this in my yard with a detector a couple of months ago

 

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[oxbowbarefoot]

That's a sweet find!

 

[quito]

Nice!
I'd be doing some excavating in that area if it were my yard.

 

[justonemore]

Very nice! Time to plant a garden or put in a pool!

 

[Hitndahed]

VERY OLD in my opinion.
AWESOME find,,,
Deep scan time,, surrounding areas too.

 

[fishstick]

HELLAVA find!!!!! I'd dig EVERY signal in your yard.. Shame you didn't post it earlier because that is DEF a banner find!!! CONGRATZ... btw what state is your yard in?

 

[old digger]

I do not think it is all that old. I don't think the Native Americans would have put an anchor hole in it. jmo!

 

[arrow86]

Could u post better pics including where it would have attached to a stick

 

[Dakota Sioux]

If you blow it up I see two rows of marks going down it spaced 1 cm apart. Could this be some kind of measured trowel?

 

[K1DDO1979]

Possibly some king of old copper fence top. Sometimes iron fences had copper/brass finishers on top o think. I have no idea just a possible guess! [emoji106]

 

[arrow86]

I also was thinking maybe a trowel of some kind .... I wonder if the neck used to have more of an angle on it for a handle but may have been flattened over time...... Something like this

 

[watercolor]

By all indications from your photos, I believe you do indeed have a "socketed" spear point and a VERY nice one at that.
As far as it being "holed", I have seen similar examples.

Under your TNet screen name, I assume that you live near LaCrosse, WI (?) which would put you in an area where you are likely find copper culture items such as yours.
If it's not too late, please do not clean it, I would leave it as is.

Again, GREAT find!

Check out:
copperculture.homestead.com

 

[Sidevalve45]

Not that I'm an expert but it looks like the real deal to me. Congratulation! By the way I'm in the Black River Falls area.

Sidevalve45

 

[theviking]

Cool find,I think it is a copper spearhead. Native Americans did use anchor holes. His avitar says Lacross, if that's La cross in Wisconsin, that area is known for copper culture artifacts just like this one. I could be wrong..

 

[rac7658]

yes it is wisconsin and near the mississippi and black rivers. since i found it i have contacted the owner of the the copperculture website and he verified it and made an offer to purchase it, i also contacted the head of the archaeology department at uw-lacrosse who put me in touch with their most knowledgeable person on copper artifacts and she verified it also. no i have not cleaned it anymore than the picture shows, which was to run some water on it to remove the sand. thanks for the interest. i have other stone artifacts i have found walking fields over the years but this is the only copper item i have ever seen. i had gotten the metal detector about 2 weeks prior and was working around in the yard with it. i had found a coin spill in one area, 8-10 pennies, a few dimes and nickles and was working my way a few feet up a slight slope in the yard. i got a solid hit and used the pinpoint feature on the detector. it seemed either good sized or several coins close together. i wasn't exactly sure what i had other than it was copper by the patina and one area of edge that my trowel must have rubbed against, but within a few minutes of thinking about and looking closer i headed for the house and started searching the internet. i never thought i would find such an amazing item.
as for the graduation marks, that kind of threw me also but if you look close they are not exact in there spacing and close to the point they go from a double row to a single row in the center. i can only assume it is decoration or depth penetration marks

 

[Charl]

It's an Old Copper Culture socketed spear. At the top of the page at this link, you can see an example with a hole at the base for insertion of a pin. And there are further examples on this page. Socketed spears with such holes exist. Old Copper Culture.

moreartifacts

 

[K1DDO1979]

Very cool! [emoji106]

 

[Charl]

More info on the Old Copper Culture, and more examples of styles of spears...

copperculture

 

[theviking]

yes it is wisconsin and near the mississippi and black rivers. since i found it i have contacted the owner of the the copperculture website and he verified it and made an offer to purchase it, i also contacted the head of the archaeology department at uw-lacrosse who put me in touch with their most knowledgeable person on copper artifacts and she verified it also. no i have not cleaned it anymore than the picture shows, which was to run some water on it to remove the sand. thanks for the interest. i have other stone artifacts i have found walking fields over the years but this is the only copper item i have ever seen. i had gotten the metal detector about 2 weeks prior and was working around in the yard with it. i had found a coin spill in one area, 8-10 pennies, a few dimes and nickles and was working my way a few feet up a slight slope in the yard. i got a solid hit and used the pinpoint feature on the detector. it seemed either good sized or several coins close together. i wasn't exactly sure what i had other than it was copper by the patina and one area of edge that my trowel must have rubbed against, but within a few minutes of thinking about and looking closer i headed for the house and started searching the internet. i never thought i would find such an amazing item.
as for the graduation marks, that kind of threw me also but if you look close they are not exact in there spacing and close to the point they go from a double row to a single row in the center. i can only assume it is decoration or depth penetration marks

Very cool!

 

[watercolor]

rac7658, when other members mentioned the inscribed dashes on your point, I adjusted the contrast on your photo so they could be seen more clearly (hope you don't mind).

Now that I see the inscribed "dashes", your point is MORE than incredible. If possible, I would love to see (I'm sure others would too) a better photo under controled lighting conditions.
Also, when you mentioned you received a purchase offer for this piece, I would recommend taking a deep breath and letting some time pass before you decide. . . (just my opinion)