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Arrowhead Hunting

25,340 Views | 16 Replies | Last: 12 yr ago by BrazosDog02
Build It
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AG
So I need to teach my 12 and 10 year old some history. A friend showed them an arrowhead he had found on his central Texas deer lease and they were intrigued.

I'm thinking the best bet close to home (Houston) will be for us to hunt Clear Creek or Spring Creek which seem to be the only undisturbed creeks left in Houston.

Anyone ever looked there?
oldord
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AG
Clear creek (the southern border of harris county has been channelized and is difficult to find any thing around.

I have found alot of stone arrowheads as well as many other tools in coastal areas. Primarily in shell middens. You will know they were indian habitations by the pottery. You will be amazed at how many indians lived around galveston bay.

I would not normaly give away my secrets but since I think it would be nice for your son to find something young I do not have a problem telling you to go to Old and lost River (trinity river brigde at I-10) and find the first shell mound you see. There will be arrowheads, tools and pottery all over it.
There are thousnds of middens there and they are going to disappear soon when the corps finishes the lake there. You need a boat to get to them.
hellapark
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AG
I know a few guys who find good stuff in gravel beds of the San jacinto river and associated creeks in Montgomery and northern Harris county.
Build It
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AG
Thanks guys! We'll try both until we have success.
JR69
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AG
Freshly plowed farm land after a good rain - if y'all ever get any rain - is also a good place to look.
BrazosDog02
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AG
We amassed our collection from all over but had good luck in plowed fields. Farmers used to let us walk it with no problems. Also had real good luck on sandbars in the Brazos river. I found one of my rarest pieces there....a perfect 5" corner tang knife. You lose some history with that because they come from elsewhere but it's still neat as hell. I've found a handful of nice points there.

It's a great hobby and good way to spend time with your kids. Just keep your expeditions on the DL, we found that many dont share a fond appreciation for this type of hobby.

[This message has been edited by Brazosdog02 (edited 10/29/2011 12:35a).]
Build It
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AG
Brazos Dog,

Thanks for the Brazos tip. A canoe trip is in our future before it gets too cold so this would be perfect.
BrazosDog02
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AG
Look for horse teeth fossils too, and petrified wood and cool rocks and bodies. Ok. Not bodies but you never know. It's a cool place to look for points for kids because if they don't find any then there is all sorts of other stuff they can find. I always enjoyed it.
MouthBQ98
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AG
The creek and riverbeds in gravel bars are good. Look for gravel about the size of the points you are looking for. Riverbeds are cool because you also find fossils, too.

The last point I found was in Cypress Creek in a cache of gravel.
CU@Kyle
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I know this is going to be a dumb question, but I have no experience looking for arrowheads; we have two creeks on our land and you guys have gotten me interested, but why are creeks a good place to look for arrowheads?
kdog
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Any water source that has a history for existing for 100 years or more is a good place to look. Indians always camped close to water. Take a steel rod that is 4 feet in length and test the ground close to the banks, going at least 2 feet down. If you hit something hard, dig with a shovel and see what you have hit. Sounds hit and miss, but my friend who is a very successful artifacts hunter starts this way. Look for pottery shards also. Take a slow, close look in the creek beds.
kdog
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Any water source that has a history for existing for 100 years or more is a good place to look. Indians always camped close to water. Take a steel rod that is 4 feet in length and test the ground close to the banks, going at least 2 feet down. If you hit something hard, dig with a shovel and see what you have hit. Ut's easier when tubelike is wet. Sounds hit and miss, but my friend who is a very successful artifacts hunter starts this way. Look for pottery shards also. Take a slow, close look in the creek beds.
BrazosDog02
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AG
Rivers and creeks are good because they carry thing for long distances. They can carry boulders with relative ease. Native Americans lived and hunted near water. All that living and hunting near them puts all their living things like arrowheads near them. They get buried or shot into a creek or whatever. A little water will erode and wash those points right into it and carry it for a while. It dumps them right where it dumps cobbles and gravel. We used to do a lot of digging for them on property we had access to. We would dig and move a lot of dirt and find a bunch of points but the river will do that work for you. When you dig you get them as they were dropped discarded or lost. But the river will carry them from private property to public.
swampstander
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AG
My Bro in law recently found this point along Keechi Creek in Freestone County. Definitely the nicest one we have found on this property. Any info or ID would be appreciated.

MouthBQ98
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AG
Could be a hare biface, but the edge work is probably too fine.

Maybe a convingtion type point, or a slightly reworked harahey point, which was possibly a knife. could also be a refugio point, which were believed to be knives.

MouthBQ98
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AG
It will be something between 2000 to 5000 years old, most likely, based on the book I have.

[This message has been edited by MouthBQ98 (edited 10/31/2011 12:16a).]
ValleyRatAg
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AG
I found a petrified shark tooth in the Brazos while I was at A&M. I wonder if it was transplanted from a frat daddy's necklace or came from a shark when the whole area was ocean.
BrazosDog02
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AG
If it was at the bridge on HWY 21 outside of town, then it's not a fluke. It is from the Stone City formation, and there are more to be found there. I have a handful from various trips, along with some Conus shells, squid beaks, and other fossils. All Eocene in age.

[This message has been edited by BrazosDog02 (edited 10/31/2011 2:07p).]
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