arrow head artifact

[devilbikerdude]

ok about two summers ago my buddy and i where digging a hole down in draper (dont ask why but we were really bored and we were also going to put a time capsul in it but then we hit the water table and decided not to)
so any ways we have been digging for about a day in half and we were around 5.5 feet down when i saw a cool looking rock, i picked it up and it turned out to be an arrow head, it looks really cool made out of some sort of stone and i would like to know how old it is, if any one knows how to go about doing this that would be very helpfull, thanks, if anyone really wants to see pics i could post some.

 

[Chiksic]

I hear carbon dating is very effective....

 

[Badger]

ya but the only thing that is going to tell you is how old the rock is not when it was fashioned into an arrow head.second i don't know if you can carbon date a rock.it was never a living thing so it never contained carbon .carbon dating is done by counting how much carbon is left in a subject.see scientist know how long it takes for a carbon atom to decay so by counting how much carbon is left they now when what ever they are trying to date was killed.

Samples of rock are not able to be dated using radiocarbon, because rocks contain no organic carbon from living organisms that are of recent enough age. Most rocks formed hundreds of thousands if not millions of years ago. Geologic deposits of coal and lignite formed from the compressed remains of plants contain no remaining radiocarbon so they cannot be dated. Radiocarbon dating is limited to the period 0 - 60 000 years, because the 'half-life' of radiocarbon is about 5700 years, so to date rocks scientists must use other methods. There is a number of different techniques available. We can date volcanic rocks using a method called argon-argon dating for instance. This method uses principles of isotopic decay like radiocarbon, but different isotopes (argon-39 and argon 40) which have a longer halflife (1250 million years). This means scientists can date rock which is many millions of years old. The technique can date materials the size of one grain of volcanic ash, using a laser. There are other methods which can be used as well which operate using different radiochemistries. The only way to date a volcanic ash layer using radiocarbon dating is to find ash within a lake sediment or peat layer and then date the organic carbon from above and below it, and therefore fix an age for the ash event. This is a commonly used approach to date volcanic events over the past 60 000 years around the world.

www.c14dating.com

 

[JeeperG]

just do some googling, I used to hunt for them when I was younger have several from southern Utah. If I remember correctly they can guesstimate somewhat by what it is made from (obsidean, Flint etc.) and the style it was made, can't recall but there are (where) 5-6 different tribes(mabye more)that occupied Utah, such as Piute, Shoeshoni, Freemont, Ute, Navajo, etc. Also if it is in good shape, and Large there are collectors..

Quick google...

Arrowheads.com
Collectors

 

[StrobeNGH]

ok about two summers ago my buddy and i where digging a hole down in draper (dont ask why but we were really bored and we were also going to put a time capsul in it but then we hit the water table and decided not to)
so any ways we have been digging for about a day in half and we were around 5.5 feet down when i saw a cool looking rock, i picked it up and it turned out to be an arrow head, it looks really cool made out of some sort of stone and i would like to know how old it is, if any one knows how to go about doing this that would be very helpfull, thanks, if anyone really wants to see pics i could post some.

It is 150 years old.

 

[spencurai]

My buddy's grandfather worked for the railroad ad a lineman. He used to find arrowheads by the handful in areas that were frequently targets of train assaults by indians. He has coffee cans full of arrowheads!

 

[Greg]

My buddy's grandfather worked for the railroad ad a lineman. He used to find arrowheads by the handful in areas that were frequently targets of train assaults by indians. He has coffee cans full of arrowheads!

That's awesome!

 

[MOODY]

If you are looking for specific information about it, look up Dr. Floyd ONeil at the American West Center at the Univ. of Utah. He can direct you to someone if not tell you himself which Nation it belonged to, pre or post era

 

[spencurai]

That's awesome!

He also has coffee cans full of skeleton keys. I don't know where these guys find this crap but all I have coffee cans full of are frickin bolts and nuts....kinda boring.

 

[XT Utah]

Triangle of Zinthar

It's possible that you found the Triangle of Zinthar.

Don't let Barbara Streisand find out or she will combine it with her triangle to complete the Diamond of Pantios. Then we'll have to deal with Mecha-Streisand.

 

[devilbikerdude]

It's possible that you found the Triangle of Zinthar.

Don't let Barbara Streisand find out or she will combine it with her triangle to complete the Diamond of Pantios. Then we'll have to deal with Mecha-Streisand.

hahahahahahaha thats awesome, thanks guys, im not sure what its made of but i know its not obsedian or flint, its sorta a dirty orange and brown, its pretty cool, i'll check out tha guy up at u of u

 

[Meat_]

So..... you know, it's illegal to pick up indian artifacts.....

 

[Herzog]

So..... you know, it's illegal to pick up indian artifacts.....

My thoughts too.

But in the case of the arrowheads by the tracks... I don't think that should be illegal. Or even finding random arrowheads out and about. I think historical grounds with lots of artifacts should definately be left alone though. Like the huge find in Carbon County...

 

[devilbikerdude]

So..... you know, it's illegal to pick up indian artifacts.....

well see at the time it was covered in mud and i wasnt sure what it was, and it wasnt on a national park it was in my buddys yard, and though it most likely is an indian artifact im not a 100% sure it is. but you are right :-\

 

[Meat_]

I've never heard of anyone getting nailed for picking up stray arrowheads, but it is illegal to pick up any artifact

 

[RWH]

mu understanding is that it's ok if it came off of private property that you have permission to be on and remove things from...BLM and Government land i know it's illegal.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

It is NOT illegal to dig, metal detect, or search for artifacts on private property WITH the written permission (or presence) of the owner.

 

[Herzog]

It is NOT illegal to dig, metal detect, or search for artifacts on private property WITH the written permission (or presence) of the owner.

And there you have it. Fact Police to the rescue.

I just hate it when people raid indian ruins. that pisses me off.

I won't even mention the morons who vandalize pictographs/petroglyphs

 

[cruiseroutfit]

..I just hate it when people raid indian ruins. that pisses me off.

I won't even mention the morons who vandalize pictographs/petroglyphs

I would gladly take aim at those that do!

My uncle has put a couple ruin-robbers in prison... he tied one of them to the scene of the looting by a cigarette butt buried in debris. I just wish they had more LEO's out in the field to catch these guys. If you have ever read a Tony Hillerman book... it can really get you wondering how much large scale looting is really going on.

As for vandalizing pictographs & petroglyphs... simply stupid! What is with the need to carve our names into everything?

 

[pELYgroso]

I was hiking around up behind alpine with a buddy and we found some old mining tools under a rock that was under a rock ledge....we were bored, and we left them up there because we didn't have the means to take them back with us....we still haven't gone back for them. Is it legal to take them?? They're way old, and...well, nobody knew they were there I'm sure.....thoughts??