Kenny Resser, Topeka Kansas
Figure 1: A complete Folsom point made from Permian chert and measuring 1½ inches in length.
I have been collecting Indian artifacts for close to twenty years now. In that time, I have found some great artifacts. I have built up a good sized collection and started to attend artifact shows in Kansas, Oklahoma and Nebraska. At these shows, other collectors have shared what they had found and told their hunting stories.
I have always been really interested in the artifacts of the Paleo Indian, and have found a good number of them in my years of hunting. This includes just about every Paleo point type in the Central States Region. But there was one point type that I could never seem to find, the Folsom point. Every time I went hunting for artifacts the Folsom point was on my mind. I knew it was only a matter of time before I finally found one.
The weekend was getting close, and I had plans to go to a spot that had produced some nice artifacts for me in the past. I was really looking forward to getting out there to see what was waiting for me. That Friday at work, a few of us decided to order some Chinese food for lunch. After eating, I broke open my fortune cookie and the message said “A pleasant surprise is waiting for you.” With the weekend hunt on my mind, the first thing I thought of was “I sure hope the surprise is a Folsom point!” So I put the fortune message in my wallet and went on about my day.
The next morning I was already hard at it as the sun came up, wondering what “pleasant surprise” was waiting for me. I had been hunting for about two hours with not much luck, but I had planned on making it an all-day hunt. That’s when something caught my eye lying flat on the rocks. Thinking it was just another flake, I bent down to take a closer look. I couldn’t believe what was laying there in front of me, for it was a complete Folsom point. (Figure 1.) I had no idea what to do with myself and almost forgot how to use my camera because I was in shock. As soon as I took a picture of this beautiful Folsom laying there, I sat down beside it (not even picking it up yet), and just started crying because I was so happy to have finally, after 20 years of hunting, found the Holy Grail! It was 1½ inches long and made of Permian chert. Needless to say, my day was cut short, as now I was unable to focus. Plus I was nervous about having the Folsom on me and trying not to break it.
One night, about two years later, I was again eating Chinese food, this time with the family. While everyone was talking, I was thinking about and looking forward to my hunt the next day. After eating, I broke open my fortune cookie and it was almost like a flashback! The message again said the same exact same thing as my other fortune, right before I found my first Folsom! Jokingly, I read it out loud to the family and said the last time I received a fortune like this I found a Folsom point. point on the left measures 2 inches in length.
The next day got an early Start hunting and planned on being out all day. I was at it for about six or seven hours, and did manage to find a pretty nice point, I was happy, but the day was still not over yet, so I kept looking.
I came across an area that looked like it had some pretty good potential. I hunted it for about ten minutes when I caught a glimpse of a flint flake sticking out of the ground. I pulled it out, and when I opened my hand to look at it, I couldn’t believe it. I had another Folsom! (Figure 2, left)
Figure 2: Two incomplete Folsom points found by the author. The point on the left measures 2 inches in length.
Again, I was in shock! This one was two inches long, made of Permian chert, and had an impact fracture on the tip. I had two Folsom points in my collection.
Knowing how fortunate I was to have found two Folsom points in my lifetime, I knew it might be a long time before I again found such a rare point. But I didn’t know that “long time coming” would be only two weeks later! I found a third Folsom point! (Figure 2, right)
This one was the tip of a super nice Folsom made of Smoky Hill Jasper. It measured 1½ inches and had very fine edge work.
I am thankful to have found three Folsom points, and if I ever get another fortune cookie message that says, “There is a pleasant surprise waiting for me,” you had better believe the next day I’ll be searching for that next Folsom point!
Figure 3: Author illustrated drawings of two of the Folsom points mentioned in the article. The point on the left is shown in Figure 1. The point on the right is the left-hand Folsom point shown in Figure 2. Notice the difference in the length and width of the flutes on each side of both points.
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