How do I identify Indian stone artifacts?

Native American Artifact Identification Tips

1. In arrowheads and spearheads, look for a clear point and a defined edge and base.
2. For Native American stone artifacts, identify the variety of stone used in the construction.
3. In bone and shell tools, look for irregularities when compared to the original shape of the material.

How do you authenticate Native American artifacts?

For authentication services, contact an artifact consultant or authenticator. Most will supply you with a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) after an item is authenticated. We recommend using authenticators from the same region the artifact was found.

Is it a felony to sell Native American artifacts?

In short, under the federal, state, municipal, and tribal laws, it may be a felony to buy and sell artifacts, or to remove them from the surface of the ground, a creek bed, or to dig them from the soil.

How can you tell a Nutting Stone?

Nutting stones are a fairly common artifact found throughout most of Georgia. These are unusually shaped stones with one or more shallow cupped spots on one or more surfaces (top). It is assumed that these impressions of multiple sizes were for the cracking of hard shelled nuts like walnuts or hickory nuts.

How do you get an artifact appraised?

How to get an appraisal on an artifact

1. American Society of Appraisers: Website | Toll free: 800.272.8258.
2. Appraisers Association of America: Website | Phone: 212.889.5404.
3. International Society of Appraisers: Website | Toll free: 888.472.5461.

Why is collecting arrowheads illegal?

It is illegal and unethical to collect artifacts on public lands. Artifacts include anything made or used by humans including arrowheads and flakes, pottery, basketry, rock art, bottles, coins, metal pieces, and even old cans. Collecting artifacts disrupts the archaeological record.

How do I know what kind of arrowheads I have?

If it’s stemmed, check the condition of the stem. In case it’s stemless, see if it’s fluted or not. If it’s scored, determine if it’s indented in the side or from the corner. The area and the configuration of the pointed arrowhead are sufficient to limit your options to just 12 potential types.

How can you tell if a stone is Native American?

Determine if your suspected Native American stone tool is a man-made object or a natural geological rock formation. Look at it under a microscope for signs of being worked. Search for evidence of pecking, sanding or knapping. Examine artifacts found at known Native American habitation and hunting sites.

How do you identify Indian tools made from rock?

Identifying Indian tools made from rock is moderately easy if you know what you’re looking for. Indian artifacts may be strewn where there was once a settlement. Arrowheads and bird points may be found at vantage points, such as cliff tops and bluffs, although only fragments or shards of these primitive tools may remain.

What are Native American Stone Age tools?

Native American stone tools are durable artifacts, surviving from the end of the last glacial period, about 12,500 years ago.Stone age technology and tools saw everyday use until the arrival of the European colonists in the 1500s.

How do you identify a stone tool?

Look for a finely sanded cutting bit on the sharp edges of axes and celts. Consult with local artifact hunters, archaeologists and museums with help in the identification of type and classification of your stone tool. Identify projectile points and bladed tools by their overall outline and the shape of the base.