Texas Indian
artifacts are found from 12,000 years ago to the historical period.
Texas Indian artifacts are like little treasures, laying around waiting to be discovered by a pair of sharp eyes. Points and knife blades made of flint or chert are the most abundant artifacts to be found. These are commonly called arrow heads, though only the smallest of them were hafted to a reed stem and shot with a bow. Other stone implements and tools include axes, celts, scrapers, spear points and cup stones. American Indian artifacts in Texas represent many cultures and span a time period of around 12,000 years. Artifacts can be found ranging from the fluted points used by Paleo-Indian mammoth hunters to Apache arrowheads used to hunt buffalo.
Instructions
1. Conduct research on the specific area of Texas you will be hunting. Read all you can about its archaeological history. Learn the hunting and living habits of the ancient inhabitants. Obtain topographical maps of the vicinity from the United States Geological Survey or a book store. Study them to get a feel of the local topography and to plan where you will search for artifacts.
2. Talk to farmers and locals in your chosen area about where artifacts have been found. Put on a good quality pair of hiking boots or shoes and pick up a walking stick, because finding Indian artifacts in Texas requires a lot of cross-country walking, sometimes over difficult terrain. Adapt your hunting style to the type of ground you will be searching.
3. Walk across freshly plowed farm fields or anywhere the top layers of earth have been excavated or disturbed. Go after a rain as the water will erode artifacts out and they'll be easy to spot. Scan ahead and to your right and left as you walk. Look for the distinctive shapes of artifacts on the ground. Search blowouts, washouts and gullies where rock and gravel have been exposed by erosion.
4. Follow creeks and rivers to examine the banks for eroded out artifacts. Look along the shores of lakes. Check where there is a confluence of two rivers as this was a favorite setting for a seasonal hunting or fishing village. Walk along high ridges above the flood plain looking for burned rocks from campfires. Keep an eye out for lithic scatters or groups of stone flakes indicating an artifact manufacturing site.
5. Catalog your finds in the notebook you carry with you in the field. Write down the type of artifact and where you found it. Take a GPS reading if you find anything significant and want to return to the site to have it properly studied by professionals. Use guides to classify and organize your artifact collection according to shape, type and age.
Tags: Indian artifacts, have been, Texas Indian, artifacts found, artifacts Texas
