arrow head find...what do you think?

[brownhillboy]

This is an arrow head(maybe spear) that my oldest son Kolton found in a mud hole in our driveway about 8 years ago when he was 4.  We've kept it safe ever since, but we've never gotten any opinions on it from anyone that knew anything about this type thing.  Anyone have an idea about what tribe it may have come from and whether it's an arrow head or a spear head?  You can see the size in the pics.  The pic without the tape measure is the opposite side from the pics with the tape measure.  The last pic is taken from the tip end.  It weighs in at 488g. on my digital scale.  We live outside of a little town called Ferrum, which is between Roanoke and Martinsville, VA.  Let me know what you think.

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[leapingbare]

Im guessing its a Thebes and if thats the case it early Archaic.

[PeteDavis]

Big Sandy. 1000 B.C. My Virginia guess.

Nice find.

[Bill Skinner]

I don't know anything about the stone in your area, so I don't know if the points you find in that area are all that thick.  The point is fluted on both sides, there does not seem to be any evidence of any pressure flaking except for the notches.  My guess is late Paleo to early Archaic.  About 10,000 to 8,000 years old, at a guess.  No real tribe, ALL people were hunter/gathers then.  It looks like it would do well as a thrusting spear.  It could be a Paleo point that has been reworked by a later knapper, he would have made it into a point he was more familiar with.  Bill

[jamie]

awesome find

[mullet]

 I'm with Bill. I think it started out Paleo and then was reworked during the Woodland period. And it was down to it's last resharpening.

[brownhillboy]

That's really cool info guys!  Thanks a lot!  What are the odds of finding a point that old that is still intact?  How rare do you think this is?

[Bill Skinner]

There is no way to tell how many points were re-worked later.  The later knapper could thin or narrow the point and in the process, he would have removed all the previous identiying marks.  It is only when they touched up an older point for their use that you can tell they re-worked a point.  Bill