Help with ID

[drewa1977]

I Teach 8th grade American History in Southern Ohio. Around the beginning of the year I spend some time talking about the who the first Americans were. I show them artifacts and talk about the difference in written history and using artifacts as clues to explain life in America thousands of years ago. I always have students who bring in artifacts that they or a family member has found. Being from Southern Ohio everyone and their brother has found an artifact at some point in time. Anyway I have an artifact that was found in Southern Ohio, but cannot identify it. I assume it is Paleo, but other than that I am stumped. Any help would be appreciated.

 

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[drewa1977]

By the way, this was found in Scioto County,Ohio

 

[redbeardrelics]

I don't know? My first thought was that it looked suspicious, maybe not ancient, or maybe not of a type I am familiar with. But upon looking at it again, if it is ancient, I suppose it might be a Debert or Vail, mid to late Paleo piece. I will defer to those who are more experienced than I.

 

[drewa1977]

Thanks. Just want to be able to tell my student what it is. Any other thoughts?

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Drew, find out where it supposed to have been found. I have hunted Scioto county for almost 50 years and have never seen anything even close to that. The material is wrong for our area too. It looks like Texas Root Beer Flint not to mention the fact that is has lots of fresh hinge fractures. I would say it's not authentic and is a repro they bought or it was given to them. If they insist it was found here I would like to meet you somewhere and look at it.

 

[drewa1977]

First off, it was glued to a piece of cardboard. I was told it was cleaned in gasoline with a wire brush to remove the glue. Probably not the best way to clean it. Anyway, this was on a piece of cardboard with a lot of other artifacts which were easily identified as dovetails made of flint ridge material, etc. This particular one is completely different than all the rest. It is a honey color. At one point the family of this student owned farmland in the west Portsmouth area. This is about the extent of the knowledge I have on it

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Check these out. These are Texas Points made from Root Beer Flint. You can see how it looks just like your Points material and even has the fresh hinges that are usually on Texas pieces because they don't get the hard freeze that will pop them off. I still say yours is not from here and more than likely not an authentic piece.

 

[redbeardrelics]

Check these out. These are Texas Points made from Root Beer Flint. You can see how it looks just like your Points material and even has the fresh hinges that are usually on Texas pieces because they don't get the hard freeze that will pop them off. I still say yours is not from here and more than likely not an authentic piece.

Wow Grim Reaper, I love that root beer point on the left in the first photo. That is one Devil of a point. What is up with those two circular indentations or eyes, are they heat treating "pops", I can see a goat or devil face in that point. What do you type that one as, it looks like it has Hardaway horns, but I have no idea what it would be called where it was found.

 

[Rege-PA]

Looks like a worked down, nearly exhausted Wheeler Excurvate , Paleo toEarly Archaic. 10,000 to 8000 BP.
Nice find.

 

[SouthTexasFinds]

First thing that actually came to mind was a texas point, "Carrizo"

Though I believe yours is much more of a round shape, the tails certainly reminded me of it

Searched Carrizo arrowhead in google and a thread from Arrowheadology came up as well as a few texas sites and forums

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Wow Grim Reaper, I love that root beer point on the left in the first photo. That is one Devil of a point. What is up with those two circular indentations or eyes, are they heat treating "pops", I can see a goat or devil face in that point. What do you type that one as, it looks like it has Hardaway horns, but I have no idea what it would be called where it was found.

Yes that Point does have some wicked looking fire pops on it that it make it look like it has eyes. It is called a Frio Point and is one of my favorites of my Texas pieces.

 

[monsterrack]

This is just a thought could it be a Wheeler Excurvate that had to have the tip redone

 

[Totsuwa]

Looks "Paleo" to me but I cannot ID it for sure, I cant find it exactly in my books. The only thing close is like said the "Wheeler Recurvate but shorter or re-worked.

 

[painterx7]

I agree with rack looks like a wheeler to me and a very good find

 

[Charl]

It looks like a Wheeler Excurvate, but don't know if they range that far north....

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Handbook Of Alabama Archaeology, Part 1, Point Types, by James W. Cambron and David C. Hulse.

 

[WolfmoonX]

Drew, find out where it supposed to have been found. I have hunted Scioto county for almost 50 years and have never seen anything even close to that. The material is wrong for our area too. It looks like Texas Root Beer Flint not to mention the fact that is has lots of fresh hinge fractures. I would say it's not authentic and is a repro they bought or it was given to them. If they insist it was found here I would like to meet you somewhere and look at it.

Says the Grim Reaper.

 

[Rege-PA]

Wheeler Excurvates have been found in KY and just across the river is So Ohio, so they could range that far north.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

What everyone is missing here is that material is not found in Ohio and the fresh hinge fractures as well. Hinge fractures don't usually stay on material here because of the deep freezes we get.

 

[painterx7]

What everyone is missing here is that material is not found in Ohio and the fresh hinge fractures as well. Hinge fractures don't usually stay on material here because of the deep freezes we get.

I understand what your point is grim I am not educated as well as you are in this field ...and I also believe you are probably correct but I don't have enough knowledge to pass judgement ...

 

[rock]

Now it does depend as to where it was found and the material on the hinge fractures. I have found some that are old but seeing it was found in the creek where they tumble and bump into gravel some spots look fresh. So it really matters as to where it was found.