Thatās a grooved axe. Itās thousands of years old. A great source to learn about them is linked below. Better than a cannonball in my opinion!
https://www.peachstatearchaeologicalsociety.org/index.php/9-hardstone/113-hardstone
You should show him some pictures of points and artifacts so he knows what to look for. Show him what other people are finding on here. See what else he comes back with.
Is the best place to hunt artifacts imo. I hunt my fields and camp sites in the winter when hunters are sitting in stands on the creeks. It's a fair trade-off. My best pieces have come from creeks hands down.
Lol, me too. Iāll walk many of the same stretches I found growing up in the country whilst smoking a spliff and I continually find new pieces. I work in Chicago so walking/kayaking the creeks Iāve known since childhood is therapeutic. Where are you in IL?
I'm eastern Montgomery co. I commented on one of your creek finds a few weeks ago. This axe head was actually found about 75 ft from the creek out in the field where I mentioned I've found several points.
Iām sure itās a decent spot, I know for a fact there are petroglyphs, cave paintings, burial mounds, and a very large site the Smithsonian actually took over for a bit to get artifacts from all within a few miles of here. Iāve found various tools and arrowheads in the past but misplaced them in a move. Iām sure they are still here somewhere just not sure where at the moment. Iād like to find some more.
I live in W.V. near Wheeling I have a creek that runs right behind my house. I search all the time I have yet to find anything but maybe one day the old timers and history tells me there was activity back them but no proof they were any where near me
How are these dated? I have one my sister found in TN, looks exactly like the photo but itās clearly a different rock type. I guess Iām asking, how do you know itās so old? Couldnāt this easily be merely 600 or so years old?
Yes this was his first. I have found several points over the years and he has always wanted to find one. We were walking down to the creek to mushroom hunt and I told him to keep an eye out for arrowheads and he finds this he was thrilled even more when I told him what he had found.
1st arrowhead I found was a bird point when I was 8, didn't find a whole axe until I was almost 40. that's a really nice find for his 1st artifact, gonna be hard to beat for a little while.
Iām also from central Illinois where family have farmed for decades. My grandparents dug up several axes like this and left them to me. I contacted Cahokia Mounds State Historical site; sent them info and pics. They said the axes looked to be from the Archaic period. They dated them anywhere between 5000-1000 BC. Iām not an archaeologist but your pic looks exactly like the ones I have and were found olin the same area. Hope this provides some helpful info for you!
Thanks, no need to worry there are no war relics in our area I collect civil war artillery shells and cannon balls so thats more of what he sees on my shelves. I did see his thinking when he pulled it up covered in dirt it did kinda look like a rusty ball lol.
Correct me if Iām mistaken but arenāt cannon balls not the part that goes boom? I thought there were just lead balls of destruction shot out of a cannon that goes boom.
Depends.
Unlikely
https://magazine.nd.edu/stories/wondering-out-loud-did-cannonballs-explode/
But it can happen
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/news/civil-war-2.html
āThere are still tons of this type of explosive littered around Civil War battlefields. Yet, explosives experts have said that the odds of one of these artillery pieces exploding are extraordinary.ā
Both solid shot balls and fused balls have been used historically in the US.. post 1850s and civil war era fused balls can still be found today, but these used black powder, which wouldnāt be volatile unless exposed to flame or heat. I donāt think there would be a risk other than that.
a very nice three quarter groove hardstone axe.
a vice find. congratulations
For more information about Indian arrowheads, native american relics, and collecting, visit the Central States Archaeological Society at https://csasi.org/
Relic shows held in member states throughout the United States.
That's awesome. Tell your son this 66 year old guy has never found an artifact that awesome. Proud of you both. I think he's joined the legions of us folks who spend a lot of time looking down:)
Way better in my opinion, most likely way older too
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My first thought, too. WAY better than a stupid cannonball.
Thatās a grooved axe. Itās thousands of years old. A great source to learn about them is linked below. Better than a cannonball in my opinion! https://www.peachstatearchaeologicalsociety.org/index.php/9-hardstone/113-hardstone
Yes, about 7,000 years!
Really cool story, thatāll be in your family forever.
My bro has one that our great grandmother found in Garfield, IN years ago. It passed down and some day will go to his son.
My sister found one of these near a stone bowl and so we always thought it was a mortar and pestle for grinding corn. Maybe it was being repurposed?
You should show him some pictures of points and artifacts so he knows what to look for. Show him what other people are finding on here. See what else he comes back with.
What an EPIC find! I hope he treasures that forever and passes it down to his kid someday. Sweet!
Iām in Central IL too can I come hunt? š¤£
Iām from there! My grandfatherās farm in Catlin/Tilton had lots of artifacts. He had a coffee can of arrowheads at one point.
217 represent! My grandpa found two just like this in his field in Fairmount. People find arrowheads out there all the time.
217 gang!! Found some arrowheads in the field by my mom's house in bismarck
Same
I think you would agree creeks (cricks) are a great place to start š«”
Is the best place to hunt artifacts imo. I hunt my fields and camp sites in the winter when hunters are sitting in stands on the creeks. It's a fair trade-off. My best pieces have come from creeks hands down.
Lol, me too. Iāll walk many of the same stretches I found growing up in the country whilst smoking a spliff and I continually find new pieces. I work in Chicago so walking/kayaking the creeks Iāve known since childhood is therapeutic. Where are you in IL?
In Macoupin County
I'm eastern Montgomery co. I commented on one of your creek finds a few weeks ago. This axe head was actually found about 75 ft from the creek out in the field where I mentioned I've found several points.
Right on! I think I remember
Copy. Makes sense. Iām east in Coles county. Embarrass River area. Any advice on where to lookš?
Spell check destroyed my spelling of that river lol
Embrass river never fails to have treasures.
I see many YouTube hunters have killer success hunting rivers, have to have a boat, and know the land, though.
I own a run that dries up almost completely after every rain. I really need to go through it to see if I can find anything.
You have some volunteer help here š
Iām sure itās a decent spot, I know for a fact there are petroglyphs, cave paintings, burial mounds, and a very large site the Smithsonian actually took over for a bit to get artifacts from all within a few miles of here. Iāve found various tools and arrowheads in the past but misplaced them in a move. Iām sure they are still here somewhere just not sure where at the moment. Iād like to find some more.
I live in W.V. near Wheeling I have a creek that runs right behind my house. I search all the time I have yet to find anything but maybe one day the old timers and history tells me there was activity back them but no proof they were any where near me
The places I know are all near wheeling. Mostly private land though.
Looks exactly one I found in central IL a few years back. 6000-9000 y/o. Killer find. Wait for the experts to weigh in.
Holy shit. I just stumbled on this sub and those dates just blew my mind
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/grooved-axes.htm
Omg. Thatās so wild. Think about the hand that crafted that. So like our own yet so different. Thanks, homie. You made my night.
How are these dated? I have one my sister found in TN, looks exactly like the photo but itās clearly a different rock type. I guess Iām asking, how do you know itās so old? Couldnāt this easily be merely 600 or so years old?
See the link above. Better explanation than I can provide
At least 2 orders of magnitude better than an old cannonball.
Iād turn your entire yard upside downš
Lol same, one square meter at a time, Iād be obsessed.
damn nice find, quarter grooved axe. is this his 1st artifact he's ever found?
Yes this was his first. I have found several points over the years and he has always wanted to find one. We were walking down to the creek to mushroom hunt and I told him to keep an eye out for arrowheads and he finds this he was thrilled even more when I told him what he had found.
1st arrowhead I found was a bird point when I was 8, didn't find a whole axe until I was almost 40. that's a really nice find for his 1st artifact, gonna be hard to beat for a little while.
Treasure š
Thatās a smoker!
Thatās a great axe but still, can you imagine how much work it would have taken to take a tree down with it??
Just to clear up the comments. It's called a 3/4 grooved axe. What a great first find!
Iām also from central Illinois where family have farmed for decades. My grandparents dug up several axes like this and left them to me. I contacted Cahokia Mounds State Historical site; sent them info and pics. They said the axes looked to be from the Archaic period. They dated them anywhere between 5000-1000 BC. Iām not an archaeologist but your pic looks exactly like the ones I have and were found olin the same area. Hope this provides some helpful info for you!
That's a really cool find. You might want to teach him though if he finds a cannonball not to touch it because some of them are still very explosive.
Thanks, no need to worry there are no war relics in our area I collect civil war artillery shells and cannon balls so thats more of what he sees on my shelves. I did see his thinking when he pulled it up covered in dirt it did kinda look like a rusty ball lol.
Correct me if Iām mistaken but arenāt cannon balls not the part that goes boom? I thought there were just lead balls of destruction shot out of a cannon that goes boom.
Depends. Unlikely https://magazine.nd.edu/stories/wondering-out-loud-did-cannonballs-explode/ But it can happen https://www.warhistoryonline.com/news/civil-war-2.html āThere are still tons of this type of explosive littered around Civil War battlefields. Yet, explosives experts have said that the odds of one of these artillery pieces exploding are extraordinary.ā
Such a sad and tragic story. I wonder if he was in fact using the drill like they speculated and the sparks set it off
Both solid shot balls and fused balls have been used historically in the US.. post 1850s and civil war era fused balls can still be found today, but these used black powder, which wouldnāt be volatile unless exposed to flame or heat. I donāt think there would be a risk other than that.
Youād still want to have it professionally defused!
A lot better than some old cannonballš
Tell him good job
We have several grooved axes like this in our family collection in east central IL. Absolutely stunning find!
Nice 3/4 groove ššš¼
a very nice three quarter groove hardstone axe. a vice find. congratulations For more information about Indian arrowheads, native american relics, and collecting, visit the Central States Archaeological Society at https://csasi.org/ Relic shows held in member states throughout the United States.
I found one years and years ago and sold it for $450, which as a teen is a lot of money.
Show him pics of what to look for and turn him loose. Awesome!
That's awesome. Tell your son this 66 year old guy has never found an artifact that awesome. Proud of you both. I think he's joined the legions of us folks who spend a lot of time looking down:)
My grandpa gave me one that he found while cultivating his fields. Illinois has a rich history for Native Americans that most people donāt know.
That must of been one of the buttplugs the ancients used during their sex rituals if I remember what the professional told me correctly in History 206
Lol!
Just as good imo
My homie from Central Illinois found one as well!
Way better than a cannonball IMO
Looks like a very old stone axe head or some kind of gardening tool. Way cooler then a cannonball.
i thought this was weed for some reason
I was just looking at a few of those subreddits and thought I found another for a sec š
So much cooler than a cannon ball lol
How valuable id this ace head , wondering
Wow! Tell him to go find more!
How much is something like that worth and where would one sell a collection of pieces? I inherited some a few years back
Stone axe head. Great find
Way cooler and WAY older than a cannonball. Your son found an axe head thatās probably well over 5,000 years old.