Featured Side Notch

I asked in another community, CoinTalk, about this piece. In the General forum, someone had asked about another tribal piece and I just happened to piggyback it and shared my piece.

I got the response that it appeared to be authentic and could be 1000+ years old.

With a starting point, Side Notch, I was able to at least Google it. There were so many questions that I couldn’t answer, where it was found was a big one. My mother got it from her cousin and doesn’t know where he got it from. He is in hospital full time and probably wouldn’t be able to recall. Our ancestors settled in Saskatchewan and Northern Manitoba, the cousin has been in Flin Flon Manitoba for what seems to be forever but he worked all over Canada, so, to definitively say it came from anywhere specific is really anyone’s guess.

Does anyone have any insight or something else I might go on to catalogue the piece appropriately as well as maybe a grade and value?

 

@2manybooks? I know there are others, but can't think of them right now. I'm sure they'll be along.

 

You might try finding an archeologist (North American prehistory) at your local college, university or museum. Identifying lithics is a specialized skill, and it really helps to have the artifact in hand to see all the distinctive characteristics. In the meantime, here are some web sites that might be of interest:
http://typology.arrowheads.com/shape_list.php?shape_id=5 (covers northern U.S.)
http://www.lithicsnet.com/byshape.html#SIDE NOTCHED PROJECTILE POINTS
https://forums.arrowheads.com/forum...-reference-books-gc103/10698-artifact-grading

 

I couldn't agree more.

Nevertheless, here are some more 'general observations' that might give you more key words and ideas to search with.

Try "projectile points" rather than arrowhead, or 'lithic points' since lithics had all sorts of uses. Depending on the size (it looks by the stone grain and background to be no more than 2 inches long) your point's uses are not likely a 'knife' or 'spear' or 'scraper' or 'drill' but bear in mind that these types of objects were often 'resharpened' by freshly knapping the edges, so an object may have originally been longer, and that could be done over and over. The fact that the tip broke off a small point (yes, probably an arrow point) suggests it might have just been left for dead, i.e., it was more work to reshape than make a new one. Of course, a piece of farm machinery could have chipped the tip as it tilled the earth... no way to know for sure. But just in general terms, it looks 'authentic' as a 'field find'.

you've already figured out that the shape is 'side notch' (if that's not the name of one of the forum members too!)

The mineral might be a weathered plagioclase or feldspar (basically, common rock!) based on what appears to be larger crystal structures... just a guess. A geologist/archeologist would pinpoint that.

And once you've become an instant expert in both geology and Native American 'point typology' ... this site allows you to search by region: https://www.projectilepoints.net/Search/Regional_Search.html

And then you have think about 'age' in terms of broad time periods... study the flaking patterns (the what?!). Every time a chip was flaked off, it tells you how it was made, and, so after you become an expert knapper ... Then you can group them and come up with a general time period. My guess: Woodland, maybe Late Archaic. Sounds 'educated' but really that's not much of a guess since it covers about 4000 years. http://www.projectilepoints.net/Periods.htm My guess is more like betting on 'red' than 'black' at Vegas. However, I *would* bet your point is NOT paleolithic.

Here's a nice chart to give you a better idea of really old points from NW Plains areas


It's a daunting task...for 1 point.

 

Just wondering, what is B.P.? Somehow I don't think it is British Petroleum or blood pressure.

 

B has to mean before, but the P eludes me.

 

Yes, I thought before too, as in BC. But P? Prist?

 

Before Present?

 

That would make sense, thanks. I am used to archaeological sites saying things like BC or 12000 years ago, but those are mainly for European and Asian archaeology.

 

yep. Before Present.

That would not be Birthday or Christmas.

 

Another disappointment.

 

Daunting is a good word for it and maybe a little understated for me but, the info I’ve received is way more than what I had before. Thank you all so much! If I discover a precise identification I’ll post the findings. Thanks again!

 

So, to recap, BP could be either before 1950 or whatever personal definition someone gives to it?

@Dawnno, I think I want that present now, it may evaporate in someone else's timescale.

 

Your reading is about right, pretty much, approximately, give or take, plus or minus, within margin of error, baker's dozen ... wait a moment, and the present will change to be the past and the future the present. See how I made your present evaporate?

 

I do, you nasty so-and-so.