SOUTH SHORE MASSACHUSETTS ARROWHEAD/ARTIFACT HUNTING

jaybreezy58

jaybreezy58

Jr. Member
Aug 19, 2021
59
60
south shore massachusetts
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
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I can't help with specific locations but one thing I always kept in mind is fresh water. Without it, people die. It's heavy so you don't want to transport it very far.

Find a clean stream and look in it and near it. Don't just look for points but look for debitage from knapping. Watch Youtube videos on flint knapping to see understand the process. Some points will create thousands of flakes in the production process. These are like breadcrumbs to lead you to artifacts.

Water worn rocks from streams will make you think you've found hardstone tools so be critical of your own finds. In one of your other posts you talked about finger grooves but that's usually not the case. Look at the everyday objects we use and consider how many finger grooves you see, or rather don't see but we have some sophisticated manufacturing methods (injection molding, cnc, etc). How would a prehistoric Native American make finger grooves in stone without some signs of the manufacturing process?

Don't get hung up on maps drawn or created by European settlers showing locations or tribal names and territories. European's have only been here a few hundred years and Native ancestry dates back thousands of years. With that being said, camps/villages could have been used on and off for thousands of years so you can never completely discount them.

Most people I know are pretty tight lipped on sharing their locations so boots on the ground is important. Back where I grew up, most farmers wouldn't give permission to look in their field easily because most of them collected or had close friends and relatives that collected. What I did find is a lot of them would let me look in their creeks (it's tougher to walk and back home most people freaked out over cotton mouth snakes).

Good luck.
 

Also look on hills above water, I have found that to have been a good spot. I imagine they camped where they could see game
 

It’s harder now, the farmers here in indiana don’t plow much. Too much slit planting, so not a lot of exposed dirt
 

JKicker said:
I can't help with specific locations but one thing I always kept in mind is fresh water. Without it, people die. It's heavy so you don't want to transport it very far.

Find a clean stream and look in it and near it. Don't just look for points but look for debitage from knapping. Watch Youtube videos on flint knapping to see understand the process. Some points will create thousands of flakes in the production process. These are like breadcrumbs to lead you to artifacts.

Water worn rocks from streams will make you think you've found hardstone tools so be critical of your own finds. In one of your other posts you talked about finger grooves but that's usually not the case. Look at the everyday objects we use and consider how many finger grooves you see, or rather don't see but we have some sophisticated manufacturing methods (injection molding, cnc, etc). How would a prehistoric Native American make finger grooves in stone without some signs of the manufacturing process?

Don't get hung up on maps drawn or created by European settlers showing locations or tribal names and territories. European's have only been here a few hundred years and Native ancestry dates back thousands of years. With that being said, camps/villages could have been used on and off for thousands of years so you can never completely discount them.

Most people I know are pretty tight lipped on sharing their locations so boots on the ground is important. Back where I grew up, most farmers wouldn't give permission to look in their field easily because most of them collected or had close friends and relatives that collected. What I did find is a lot of them would let me look in their creeks (it's tougher to walk and back home most people freaked out over cotton mouth snakes).

Good luck.
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That is amazing information Sir, thank you. So you're saying rocks that natives used would not have smooted worn out areas where fingers and thumbs would go? it would be just equal surface all around?
 

jaybreezy58 said:
That is amazing information Sir, thank you. So you're saying rocks that natives used would not have smooted worn out areas where fingers and thumbs would go? it would be just equal surface all around?
Click to expand...

I'm not saying there were no finger grooves, because there are no absolutes. But imagine picking up a beer bottle or coke bottle. Do you need finger grooves? The human hand doesn't need finger grooves in most tools for them to be functional.

Over the years I've seen grooved stones and people swear they are wear patterns from the human hands. It would take hours each and every day for several hundred years to wear grooves.

Years ago, worry stones were popular. Small stones with a small groove for people to rub their thumb against it. Someone gave me one and no matter how much I rubbed it, the stone never showed any wear pattern.
 

JKicker said:
I'm not saying there were no finger grooves, because there are no absolutes. But imagine picking up a beer bottle or coke bottle. Do you need finger grooves? The human hand doesn't need finger grooves in most tools for them to be functional.

Over the years I've seen grooved stones and people swear they are wear patterns from the human hands. It would take hours each and every day for several hundred years to wear grooves.

Years ago, worry stones were popular. Small stones with a small groove for people to rub their thumb against it. Someone gave me one and no matter how much I rubbed it, the stone never showed any wear pattern.
Click to expand...
I figured they'd work the areas to give the tool some sort of tight grip. I would figure it would be slightly difficult to grasp an object without proper grip and finger placement. So i was figuring it was some sort of tool ? but i definitley understand your point. THank you for taking the time to reply Sir
 

newnan man said:
You can view literally thousands of tools on the internet from all across the country. None have "finger grooves". It is a common misconception about artifact looking rocks.
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Interesting indeed. I have now moved on past that misconception i had initially. I appreciate your time Sir
 

jaybreezy58 said:
DB4385AF-7779-47B2-8402-DD3ECDEFBD75.png
FCF39D00-3F4E-453C-9FF4-73F409A28787.png
I figured they'd work the areas to give the tool some sort of tight grip. I would figure it would be slightly difficult to grasp an object without proper grip and finger placement. So i was figuring it was some sort of tool ? but i definitley understand your point. THank you for taking the time to reply Sir
Click to expand...
One of the very first things you should do is visit the Robbins Museum, in Middleborough, Ma. I believe they’re open on Wed. and Saturdays. They have the most extensive display of stone artifacts from southern New England, in this region.

Home - Massachusetts Archaeological Society

Massachusetts Archaeological Society Since 1939, the Massachusetts Archaeological Society is dedicated to preserving and studying the archaeological heritag ...
www.massarchaeology.org

And you should do that because there is a learning curve, and it takes awhile to learn what stones modified, or worked, by humans, look like. Learning to recognize when a rock has been worked or modified is one thing you must learn. As well, you will also see displays showing you the types of rocks used. In other words, the second thing you must learn are the types of rocks, the lithics, used most commonly in this region: quartz, argillite, quartzite, rhyolite, chert, jasper, etc., all the types of lithics most commonly used in this region.

For instance, above are two photos of a display at the Robbins illustrating the type of lithics, that is, tool stone, used in southern New England to make flaked stone artifacts. And 90+% of what all of us find, are small flaked stone artifacts, like points, knives, scrapers, drills, etc. As you walk a field or shoreline, you want to be able to spot the correct lithics laying there, and you will learn to recognize that that piece of rhyolite laying there, looks like it’s been flaked.

It’s all practice, really. Learn what workmanship looks like, what the correct lithics look like, build up experience, and eventually spotting artifacts will become second nature.

As far as surface hunting in southern New England. Stream hunting is great in many parts of the country, but I don’t know many collectors who have had much luck here. I would concentrate in two areas: find agricultural fields, near fresh water, and walk when plowed up, and only after heavy rains. With the farmer’s permission, and the owner, as they can be two different people.

The other area to concentrate is our salt water shorelines, especially the shores of our estuaries. Look for rocks sorted on the shore, lines of rocks about the size of an average point, and walk, walk, walk. This is why you need to learn those lithics I mentioned. You must learn to stop on a dime, recognizing flaking, or “hey, that looks like argillite”, you recognize the lithic.

Visit the Robbins! Many times! Take photos to study at home. You’ve got to expose yourself to the real deal, and you will learn to spot the same while surface hunting. Good luck.
 

Last edited:
where are you? We can give better advice knowing where you have access to. My suggestions in Nevada would be very different from my advice along the coast.
 

Read then read some more ask permission from anyone who as open ground for hunting permission and then boots on the ground. Good luck.
 

unclemac said:
where are you? We can give better advice knowing where you have access to. My suggestions in Nevada would be very different from my advice along the coast.
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He wants to hunt Southshore Massachusetts. As I told him, the very first thing he should do, is visit the Bronson Museum, it cannot be far from where he lives, and immerse himself in their displays showing every type of stone artifact found in his region, every type of lithic he needs to spot, etc.. Then walk fields and salt water estuary shorelines, as stream hunting in Ma. would not be so hot…..
 

in that case a good place is to find seasonal streams that trickle across the beach, they should all be flowing now. And look through extensive gravel beds on beaches that small streams create.
 

Charl said:
One of the very first things you should do is visit the Robbins Museum, in Middleborough, Ma. I believe they’re open on Wed. and Saturdays. They have the most extensive display of stone artifacts from southern New England, in this region.

Home - Massachusetts Archaeological Society

Massachusetts Archaeological Society Since 1939, the Massachusetts Archaeological Society is dedicated to preserving and studying the archaeological heritag ...
www.massarchaeology.org

And you should do that because there is a learning curve, and it takes awhile to learn what stones modified, or worked, by humans, look like. Learning to recognize when a rock has been worked or modified is one thing you must learn. As well, you will also see displays showing you the types of rocks used. In other words, the second thing you must learn are the types of rocks, the lithics, used most commonly in this region: quartz, argillite, quartzite, rhyolite, chert, jasper, etc., all the types of lithics most commonly used in this region.

For instance, above are two photos of a display at the Robbins illustrating the type of lithics, that is, tool stone, used in southern New England to make flaked stone artifacts. And 90+% of what all of us find, are small flaked stone artifacts, like points, knives, scrapers, drills, etc. As you walk a field or shoreline, you want to be able to spot the correct lithics laying there, and you will learn to recognize that that piece of rhyolite laying there, looks like it’s been flaked.

It’s all practice, really. Learn what workmanship looks like, what the correct lithics look like, build up experience, and eventually spotting artifacts will become second nature.

As far as surface hunting in southern New England. Stream hunting is great in many parts of the country, but I don’t know many collectors who have had much luck here. I would concentrate in two areas: find agricultural fields, near fresh water, and walk when plowed up, and only after heavy rains. With the farmer’s permission, and the owner, as they can be two different people.

The other area to concentrate is our salt water shorelines, especially the shores of our estuaries. Look for rocks sorted on the shore, lines of rocks about the size of an average point, and walk, walk, walk. This is why you need to learn those lithics I mentioned. You must learn to stop on a dime, recognizing flaking, or “hey, that looks like argillite”, you recognize the lithic.

Visit the Robbins! Many times! Take photos to study at home. You’ve got to expose yourself to the real deal, and you will learn to spot the same while surface hunting. Good luck.
Click to expand...
OH MY GOD. Do you have any clue how much you replying means to me?!. Sincerely. Would you ever be interested in going with me so i can pick your brain a bit too?. Im honestly blown away right now. You did not have to do take time out of your day to respond in the way that you did! Thank you so so much Sir!
 

Charl said:
One of the very first things you should do is visit the Robbins Museum, in Middleborough, Ma. I believe they’re open on Wed. and Saturdays. They have the most extensive display of stone artifacts from southern New England, in this region.

Home - Massachusetts Archaeological Society

Massachusetts Archaeological Society Since 1939, the Massachusetts Archaeological Society is dedicated to preserving and studying the archaeological heritag ...
www.massarchaeology.org

And you should do that because there is a learning curve, and it takes awhile to learn what stones modified, or worked, by humans, look like. Learning to recognize when a rock has been worked or modified is one thing you must learn. As well, you will also see displays showing you the types of rocks used. In other words, the second thing you must learn are the types of rocks, the lithics, used most commonly in this region: quartz, argillite, quartzite, rhyolite, chert, jasper, etc., all the types of lithics most commonly used in this region.

For instance, above are two photos of a display at the Robbins illustrating the type of lithics, that is, tool stone, used in southern New England to make flaked stone artifacts. And 90+% of what all of us find, are small flaked stone artifacts, like points, knives, scrapers, drills, etc. As you walk a field or shoreline, you want to be able to spot the correct lithics laying there, and you will learn to recognize that that piece of rhyolite laying there, looks like it’s been flaked.

It’s all practice, really. Learn what workmanship looks like, what the correct lithics look like, build up experience, and eventually spotting artifacts will become second nature.

As far as surface hunting in southern New England. Stream hunting is great in many parts of the country, but I don’t know many collectors who have had much luck here. I would concentrate in two areas: find agricultural fields, near fresh water, and walk when plowed up, and only after heavy rains. With the farmer’s permission, and the owner, as they can be two different people.

The other area to concentrate is our salt water shorelines, especially the shores of our estuaries. Look for rocks sorted on the shore, lines of rocks about the size of an average point, and walk, walk, walk. This is why you need to learn those lithics I mentioned. You must learn to stop on a dime, recognizing flaking, or “hey, that looks like argillite”, you recognize the lithic.

Visit the Robbins! Many times! Take photos to study at home. You’ve got to expose yourself to the real deal, and you will learn to spot the same while surface hunting. Good luck.
Click to expand...
Would you reccommend shore line hunting on the lower cape? if so , bay side, or ocean side or both? or on the south shore like hull or marshfield?
 

jaybreezy58 said:
Would you reccommend shore line hunting on the lower cape? if so , bay side, or ocean side or both? or on the south shore like hull or marshfield?
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I have never hunted on the Cape, but I know guys do well there. I always hunt bays over ocean beaches, but again, not familiar with situation on Cape beaches. Most of the ocean side is a National seashore, so collecting there would likely be a no-no.
 

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