How to Hunt Arrowheads and Other Indian Artifacts

It might not make sense on the surface, but almost certainly "hunting for arrowheads" is the main reason a beginner usually doesn't find arrowheads. Instead of hunting for arrowheads, hunt for sites where arrowheads are likly to be found. Pinpoint a site by looking for debitage. Debitage is the term used by archaeologists to refer to the waste material left over from the production of a stone tool. Its very easy to spot once you learn to recognize it.

A big part of the equation, in my opinion, nothing else even comes close, is training the eye. Seasoned hunters really aren't looking for relics, per se - they are looking for the signs that lead them to relics. Once you spot debitage pick it up and study it. Draw conclusions as to what makes the debitage you have found different than the rest of the rocks you see all the time. Now look seriously for artifacts, walking in circles away from where you found the chips and flakes. Cover every piece of ground. If you find something, go back over every area that you think you've already looked. Once you have covered the area thoroughly, remember the spot and go back after a good rain and do it all over again. Sometimes it takes several rains to turn up new artifacts - depends on the site and the rainfall.

Another common mistake beginners make is hunting for arrowheads - usually only in the shape of a Christmas tree - but ignoring the other tools that the Native Americans used in their daily lives such as scrappers, gravers, and choppers. I get a thrill every time I find an arrowhead, but fact is an arrowhead alone doesn't tell much of a story. I frame all of my finds by site, not type for that very reason.

Eventually, as you begin to find debitage and finished artifacts, you'll train your eye to key in on things that look like an artifact because of shape, mineral type, color and patina. It will certainly come in time and probably sooner than you think.

In many ways Native Americans were not that much different than modern man, so when you are looking for an area to hunt think where you would would want to walk, hunt and live. Trails were often across the highest ground and in hilly areas always crossed the passes. They lived near water, but not in it, so the first few rises from "old" water will probably be productive if there are cleared areas to search. Old water are rivers, streams, and lakes that have existed for thousands of years. Yes, I said thousands of years. Most people who haven't thought much about the subject, think these relics of the past are a few hundred years old and maybe date back to the first European explorers. Actually, only the most recent Native Americans are "only" hundreds of years old and finding 3000 - 7,000 years old relics is common. Native Americans left the Stone Age not long after the Europeans arrived.

Archaeologists and anthropologists do not all agree when the first Native Americans arrived on this continent, but most do believe that the first ones walked across an ice land bridge - which disappeared as the earth warmed - at least 12,000 years ago. From even that low estimate we can be certain that millions of Indians walked this continent before the Europeans arrived. That means that they left a lot of artifacts behind, and in fact, most of it will never be found.

As mentioned before, an arrowhead hunter should be looking for debitage. When you find debitage it is almost certain that you have also found a site where ancient man once engaged in the production of stone tools. Sometimes there is very little debitage which could mean that you have found a place where someone once stopped to chip out a tool. Other times you will find so much debitage that you can assume that you have found a camp or village site. Debitage can cover dozens of acres or more.

This is what debitage looks like in the field:



Most of the material in that photo is shale. There is a little sandstone. The material that appears mostly white is chert, which does not normally flake and chip naturally.

Here is a scanned photo of debitage:



Debitage and stone tools in my part of the country is mostly chert. I also find artifacts made of jasper and quartz.

Most new hunters are surprised at the amount of debitage that is out there once they learn what it looks like.

We couldn't get back to this site for a three month period because of hunting season. Once we could get to the site again, we soon started finding artifacts again. Never give up on a site, especially one that not very many others know about. Rain and erosion will keep delivering artifacts.

This site borders a creek that runs through a pass in a mountain. Smaller creeks also drain into the main creek at this site. The more water the better. Passes are good because this will be the place where humans and game traveled. Rises, like this one has, near the water makes the site even better because Native Americans could live there without fear of being flooded. Artifacts can be found near and in the water, but the rises are usually where you find the most.

A site like this is generally going to have a lot of lithic debris like chips, flakes, cores, and cobble. Once you begin seeing this stuff, look hard for artifacts. They are there.

These are examples of what you can find once you have located a good site and know what to look for:







It rained some on the 13th. We went back to the same site on the 14th and found these in the same area:



It pays to keep searching a good site. New rains uncover more artifacts. Erosion washes them to new areas. Shadows hide. Bright light washes out. Artifacts hide behind bushes and dead wood. I've found artifacts only because I stopped to tie my shoe. All of it will never be found.

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