Broken point or knife, what is the material?

[BwinDog10]

I'm from Massachusetts too, but I have no idea of where to look. I get the general areas of rivers and plowed fields near rivers, but I really need a specific place to start me off. Once I find one, I will know how to find them and will instantly be 200% better at finding them. I just need a little boost to point me in the right direction. I have done research and ended up with the farmington river in connecticut, the connecticut river, the merrimac river, narragansett bay, and the taunton river. Are some, if any of these places possible to find arrowheads in?

[Chris Pittman]

It sounds like you are on the right track. Just get out there and look. Get some topographic maps of the areas you have identified, look for places where where a stream meets a river, or where fresh water meets the sea, then look for places high and dry, just a little higher up than the main body of water. Circle these places on the map, there will be lots of them. Then get in your car and check. Look for any place where change is taking place from erosion, or where machinery has moved stuff around. Knock on doors and get permission and walk very slowly looking very carefully. Well drained sandy soil is best. In our area I look for broken quartz pieces. If you can find broken quartz chunks you are in the right spot. Then start looking for points. If you see a lot of chips and flakes examine every broken rock. Where in MA do you live?

[cgode]

Chris, have you considered Hornfels for the material? It's a possibility, the corner notch Jack's Reef in my album is Hornfels and looks to be a similiar material.....the pic happens to be HUGE in there for some reason....lol.....but it willl give you a good look.......oh, and yes, I agree with Zach....nice Levanna!

[MikeE]

Its never easy in the east Dog10. Mass. is so built on,,, that research is first. Go to the local historic society for your area and neighboring areas. Find out about the oldest farms in your area and go ask the farmer. Tell him your situation and ask for help. Be honest but wear boots and work clothes. If your lucky they will send you some place to look. Cattle farmsers grow alot of silage and they usually know whats on their property. Tools are the most common find!!! Be curious and look slowly. Spending 4 hours wandering around and finding nothing can be frustrating but thats why anyone who finds a keeper piece gets hooked, and is so excited. so be forwarned...you might end up finding more than you thought you could.
M

[MikeE]

Chris, its hard to nail your type of material down given the dirt still on it. Try a tooth brush with a little MuricAcid on it. It wont hurt the stone and might give you a look inside. Just a small area. Sometime clay gets baked into the surface by time and I suspect that is what is on your pieces. Included is a photo of material that sort of matches yours based on the flaking I see. The two side notch are spotted rhyolite and banded rhyolite, the center piece is greywackle, and the right side piece is from Mass. and is a patinated type of rhyolite from somewhere up the Conn. valley
Mike

[eddies]

that triangle is very nice.congrats

[CMD]

Chris, I think cgode nailed it. That looks like hornfels. Braintree hornfels a popular lithic in eastern Ma. BwinDog10, Taunton River drainage one of richest areas in Ma though most fields will be picked over by now. Try using Google Earth to find fields near water. There still are fields on the Westport River, both branches if you can get permission. It's tough, no virgin fields in these parts!

[Chris Pittman]

Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it. Here is that Levanna again with another big chunky triangle that I have been calling hornfels. At first glance the materials look very different but on closer inspection I can see that they might be the same. Or is the one at left hornfels, and the other something different? Also an in situ of that big triangle, this is from a couple of years ago. Nice when they are fully exposed like this!

[CMD]

Chris, the triangle on the right is hornfels for certain. Hard to tell in that photo about the triangle on the left but earlier photo was not as washed out and it sure looked like a variety of hornfels in that photo. So I'll guess they both are. Here are some RI points, all hornfels. First one closely resembles the material of your 2nd triangle.

[uniface]

The larger one looks kind of like aoprhyolite.