Glass Arrowhead?

[Huskerhunter]

My son found this at one of our spots in SW Iowa and it is definitely made out of glass. Is this something that NAs would have used to make points? TIA!

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[Indian Steve]

It could be clear quartz crystal. I have a couple but they aren't that big. VERY NICE!

 

[smokeythecat]

I was thinking clear quartz also. The natives did not know how to make glass, and it's kind of unlikely somebody pranked you.

 

[Relicgrubber]

Maybe Dennis will chime in. He knows his Crystal Quartz artifacts imo. Looks like glass in the photos but I’m no expert on artifacts made from Crystal Quartz. Pretty cool though!

 

[quito]

I was thinking clear quartz also. The natives did not know how to make glass, and it's kind of unlikely somebody pranked you.

they may not have made glass but they did have access to it post contact.

 

[Rookster]

Looks good whatever it is. Nice find.

 

[old digger]

That is a nice one! It is either a nice example of clear agate, or as ''quito'' stated, post contact.

 

[SportsmanAll]

I have found a old Clorox bottle from the 30’s that had been percussion knapped into a blade in the same area as I’ve found NA obsidian artifacts. I believe the most modern NA would use glass when found.

 

[joshuaream]

Since your son found it in Iowa, as I see it you have three scenarios:

1. It's a natural material instead of being glass. Quartz crystal or something like it. Rare find, and made from a material that doesn't seem to be very common in your area.

2. It's post contact glass, made in a very narrow window of time when natives had access to glass waste and still knapped like that. Really rare find, and that style of stemmed knife wasn't particularly common in the 1800's when it might have been made & used. Worth noting that the common glass that they would have had access to usually wasn't crystal clear. (You tend to see more historic glass knapped items made from brown, amber, greenish clear glass from bottles and other items.)

3. It's modern glass and not old. Not sure how it would have gotten out there, but people have found modern stuff while field hunting. I've heard of some hunters who will occasionally whack out a point while walking.

Option 1 is the most likely, but if you are really certain it's glass (flat spot, bubbles, part of a Coca-Cola logo still there, etc.) then option 3 is more likely in my opinion. In California and other areas of the west you might see glass used longer or much more recently, but settlers cleared Native Americans out of Iowa pretty early on.

 

[Tdog]

Head-on, closer and cross section views would help.

 

[Out Of Time]

Wow.

That's awesome.

I've found historic glass artifacts in California.
It's always been very thick and somewhat funky glass typical of the time.
Your glass is so clear and clean, it's surprising and it doesn't look too thick.

Perhaps it is a super clean crystal.

It's a spectacular find, if it's real.

 

[ToddsPoint]

I say modern. Post contact glass points would have been small triangles. Option C in my opinion. Gary

 

[arrow86]

Really looks like crystal quartz if that’s the case it’s one of the nicer ones iv seen , I have a few made from it also a drill that’s clear as glass .... great material

 

[Huskerhunter]

Here is a couple more pics. It is definitely glass but I can’t imagine somebody napping a point out while looking for rocks at this site. I’m guessing it is post contact and not so much modern. It was found at a spot where Chief Waubonsie lived after he was kicked off his original land.

 

[Tdog]

View attachment 1769173

It looks like glass in this photo with the flat area unknapped.

 

[GaRebel1861]

If that is made from Crystal Quartz, it's the best one that I've ever seen.

 

[Jon Stewart]

Sure the NA's knapped glass. Ishi made arrowheads out of power line insulators. I have a piece of 1/4" glass that has a worked edge that I found where a homestead once stood.

 

[SportsmanAll]

Here is a piece of modern glass that has been percussion knapped into a large blade. Found in a NA area where I have found many obsidian and stone artifacts.

 

[MAMucker]

There seems to be a lot of napped glass (artifacts?) getting posted.

No one has mentioned this, but It would be surprising to hear that none of the settlers/pioneers were skilled survivalists; and they were all incapable of napping stone or glass.

I will also ask; Is it safe to say, that by the 1920’s All Americans had access to steel tools?

These pieces are interesting, and I would surely bring them home.
But nailing down a positive NA designation is problematic and just speculation.

 

[xcopperstax]

I think it's old and probably NA. In modern times who would take the time to make that and leave it there? Looks like great workmanship to me. About 25 years ago I went into the herring run gristmill in Brewster Ma. They had on display a few arrowheads that were knapped out of glass that were from the 1800's and found on Cape Cod which has a extensive history of Europeans and Native Americans since before the Pilgrims landed. That's an incredible find.