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ARROWHEADS PRICELESS IN STUDY OF ANCIENT LIFE |
Arrowhead collection; pre-historic; 91 Columbia River gem points, framed, sold for $6,600. Photo courtesy of Allard's Auctions
The logging road weaves through the deep forest like a tangled web. The bitter smell of decaying moss rises up from the ground on this rainy afternoon as the road bends upward to an isolated flat spot on top of a hill.
There are round rocks and stone chippings everywhere on the ridge, in what appears to be rockless soil. The creek gurgles in a narrow stream down the embankment.
Suddenly it hits you. Long ago, other people camped right here. For the astute observer, there will be arrowheads, the handicraft of stone-age men.
These prehistoric ancestors of the North American Indians first came to the Americas it is believed from Asia some 15 to 25 thousand years ago by way of a land bridge across the Bering Strait connecting the two continents.
Spear points have been found imbedded in the bones of large, prehistoric bison and mammoths. The time sequence seems to indicate the Native Americans began with wooden spears then invented the stone spear point, and much later the bow and arrow.
The stone points may look primitive, but these simple tools kept a hungry family from starving. Each one had a specific purpose in hunting and fishing and became more refined as time passed.
Arrowheads as relics of prehistory are very collectible today. The common question is, “How much are they worth?”
It’s important to mention that for many people the hobby is truly about learning, and the thrill of the hunt, not about prices and money. It’s also illegal to remove artifacts from state and federal lands. Even on private property, you need permission. These relics are priceless to the study of ancient life, and help piece together a puzzle about primitive man.
But their monetary value is important to some and two things influence that. How plentiful? How desirable?
Obviously ancient arrowheads aren’t being produced anymore and scarcity dictates they’ll continue to increase in value as time passes. A perfect sample will always be worth more than a broken one. The raw material used in construction and the quality of the workmanship also influences value. Generally, “the larger the better” rule applies. Age is important. But the older arrowheads are not always the most valuable arrowheads.
Typically, arrowheads or spear points have triangular heads. But not all were typical. They vary in size from tiny “bird points” less than ˝ inch long to huge spearheads up to 10 inches long. Visualize the difference in size for a spear point used in hunting mammoth versus rabbits.
One common stone used was flint, a dark-colored quartz, which is often easy to identify because of its glassy appearance. Other stones used included chert, jasper, chalcedony, basalt, and obsidian.
One of the oldest spear points found in the U.S. was uncovered in 1936 in a cave in the Sandia Mountains, east of Albuquerque, N.M. On the floor of the cave sat layers of dirt that had been untouched for thousands of years.
Scientists unearthed a type of odd-shaped spear point they had never seen before. With the point were prehistoric bones of the now-extinct American camels, mastodons and mammoths.
On March 9-11, Allard Auctions Inc. in St Ignatius, Mo., featured its spring auction in Phoenix. Included in the sale were a variety of arrowheads. Here are some current values.
Auction Highlights
Arrowhead collection; pre-historic; 12 projectile points found in the Columbia River plateau; $660.
Artifact collection; ancient; 2 fine jade celts (axlike tools) from the Richmond, Washington area, and 2 steatite pipes; $715.
Arrowhead collection; pre-historic; 38 pieces; varying sizes of mule ear and pentagonal knives; framed; $935.
Artifact collection; pre-historic; 3 large blades/knives from South Central Oregon; $1,045.
Arrowhead collection; pre-historic; 20 Columbia River and Oregon blades; including large Black Rocks, Humbolts, Crumb Lake; each identified; $3,575.
Arrowhead collection; pre-historic; 91 Columbia River gem points; framed; every piece rare and in mint condition; $6,600.
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