by David Horst, Sabula, Iowa
Volume 67, Number 4, October 2020 Central States Archaeological Journal
I found my first Indian artifact, a spear point, by chance. My parents had bull-dozed an old fence line out and I stumbled on the strange shaped rock. I was intrigued by its shape. I picked it up and showed it to my parents. They told me it was a spear point used for hunting by the Indians. I was eight years old the day I found that point. I’m now 54 and have been collecting for 46 years. Every year I look forward to spring so I can search the fields and creeks for artifacts. Of course, like others, I have found a majority of my artifacts this way. There are certain fields that are dubbed as my favorites. You just know you are going home with several cool finds.
What I truly find interesting is how some artifacts are found. For example: the perfect axe found by a farmer while digging a fence post hole or the turkey hunter walking across a field and finds a perfect spear point. I could go on and on for hours of stories I have been told over the years. I too have had my share of lucky and unexpected finds over the years. I once found a perfect Table Rock point (Fig. 1) in the family garden. Another time I found a perfect scraper while my brother and I were burying our pet dog.
My wife, Nan, and I moved to our current home in Jackson County, Iowa, in 2002. I’m a horticulturist by trade, so it’s only natural that we enjoy working in our yard. Fortunately, our yard sets on a high terrace next to the Mississippi River backwaters. There is a small creek on the south boundary line. You may have guessed where this is going. We have found 42 artifacts in our yard over the years while planting trees, shrubs and flowers. My favorite from the yard is a three-quarter grooved axe I found while trimming weeds with a string trimmer in 2010.
The year before, in 2009, I was spraying weeds on the family farm using a four-wheeler, when I came to a large washout in the field. I got off to examine the severity of the ditch and yes, I have to admit, to look for artifacts. There, lying in the bottom of the ditch just as if it had just been carefully laid there, was my first ever copper artifact (Figs. 2,3). The socketed copper spear has a slight bend, otherwise it is in perfect condition. It has a raised ridge on one side and was estimated to be 5000 to 6000 years old by Bill Green.
The actual searching and excitement of finding artifacts is the reason many people look for them. I also enjoy the friendship of the many fabulous people I have met over the years. One of these people is Kevin Oetken. He is one of the most unselfish and kind people I have ever met. He has shared his favorite Indian sites in Southeast Iowa with me that would take a person a lifetime to locate on their own. His daughter, Ellen, is just as enthusiastic and joined us on nearly every outing this year. Last year Kevin took me to a spot in which most people would have upon seeing, would have just kept driving. This spot is a very small field, more like the size of a large garden, right next to the road and close enough to the farm buildings I could toss a stone and hit them. The two of us can cover it in about ten minutes of walking. The first time we went there I remember thinking we would never find anything. Well, on my second trip to this spot with Kevin in March of 2020, I found my first bannerstone (Fig. 4). The hole is partially drilled on one end and overall it is in good condition. The point here is not to overlook a site based on size and location.
These are just a few examples of unexpected finds for me. There are more artifacts out there just waiting to be found. Who knows, perhaps you will be the next lucky person. You just never know!
At top: Figure 1. The Table Rock point is made of Burlington chert and was found in Jackson County, Iowa, and is 3″ long and 1 ¼” wide.