Turkey tail point?
- Thread starter Derek
- Start date
Derek
Well-Known Member
I found this point on our hunting property in Humphries County, TN about 5 years ago. We had dug a pond on the property several years earlier. I was walking down the levee to a hunting stand and it was laying in the trail. I sent a pic to a professor at MTSU and he told me it was called a Turkey Tail and was 2-5000 years old. Would you guys agree with that? It's the only absolutely perfect point I have ever found. No creeks withing a half mile. I like to think a hunter stuck this in an animal and it died up there in the ancient past. Would this be a spear point most likely?? Thanks for any opinions!
Tennrock
Well-Known Member
Yes, Turkey Tail. Spear point or knife.
Turkey tail for sure. What a beautiful piece of art!
Agree with above, and super nice point
Post a side view so we can see how thin it is. Looks extremely thin
Post a side view so we can see how thin it is. Looks extremely thin
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Absolutely beautiful point.
Yes it's a turkey tail and a dang near G9-G10 grade one at that! Those are one of my favorite point types. Adena culture is who the turkey tails are associated with. Just my opinion but I don't think that one was used at all. Turkey tails are often buried in caches and or used for ceremonial blades. I think there was a well known cache of them known as the Duck River cache from Tennessee that I saw at a show one time.
That thing, on the current market, would fetch $400ish pretty easy. If you get it papered with a respectable COA, it'll be worth more.
That thing, on the current market, would fetch $400ish pretty easy. If you get it papered with a respectable COA, it'll be worth more.
Yes, it's a Harrison Turkeytail. Very nice!
Wiley
Well-Known Member
FINE artifact!
Derek
Well-Known Member
Wow! I had no idea guys! It's in my safe, but I'll try to take a side view. It is very thin....an honestly pristine.
It concerns me that a grave was disturbed while building this pond. But, like I said, 1/4 mile to the nearest creek. Very rugged area. It gave me a very satisfying feeling to think a hunter was in the same area I was hunting 2-5000 years ago!
It concerns me that a grave was disturbed while building this pond. But, like I said, 1/4 mile to the nearest creek. Very rugged area. It gave me a very satisfying feeling to think a hunter was in the same area I was hunting 2-5000 years ago!
Very nice indeed !
If there is any way you could take a couple of clearer, daylight pictures of both sides, sure would enjoy that.
Thanks for sharing.
Thats not the first time thats happened. Ive been told that you would be amazed how there were once branches and springs in areas where there is now nothing. I was told the landscape has changed a lot through the years, not to mention they had trails from one site to another where Im sure many artifacts have been found. Your idea about it being stuck in an animal and dying is completely possible, and I wish that could be proven with your piece, but once taken out of context, Im afraid the evidence is long gone. Im just glad you have your hands on a nice looking piece of history.
If there is any way you could take a couple of clearer, daylight pictures of both sides, sure would enjoy that.
Thanks for sharing.
Derek
Well-Known Member
I will take good pics and post them guys! I love this site! haha
Humphreys County must have had quite a bit of turkey tail influence. I bought several of them from an old collection that were also from Humphreys, and also made from Ft Payne material like that one. The collection I bought mine from had already been picked over; he must have had one of the biggest turkey tail and Adena collections in the state, and all from the same county as yours. It's interesting to see how good they actually were at making those things...especially when you consider what all goes into knapping. For them to have the skill to make hundreds of them, almost exactly the same as one another....that just blows my mind and makes me appreciate the craftsmanship even more. All but 3 or so of the ones in my case are from Humphreys Co.
Attachments
Last edited:
Thats a really nice frame, and its cool with the coincidence you have in reference to Humphreys county.
Im far from an expert, but that top left, possibly top left two, look really close to Dover pieces Ive seen, but I know it can be very difficult to differentiate from Ft Payne. Do you already know they are Ft Payne for sure ? If so, can you share how to tell the difference ? I have the worst time with it because I dont have a lot of real world, hands on experience and education that others have in this field.
It's hard to tell Dover from Ft Payne in some cases. My understanding is, Dover is a just a variety of Ft Payne. At least that's how the collectors call it now. Archeologists say there is far more Ft Payne deposits vs Dover in Tennessee and thus more flint tools are made from it. I always think Dover appears darker than Ft Payne and most of the pieces that I have papers on that are labeled Dover, you can see traces of black mineral in it.
PRB,
Ft. Payne and Dover can be almost identical in some instances, however, Ft. Payne comes from the Ft. Payne Limestone Formation, and Dover comes from the St. Louis Limestone Formation.
I've collected thousands of pounds of each, side by side where they erode out of their respective formations.
The one thing I look for in Dover, is what I call, "pepper flecks", which are small black dots that show up near the tiger stripes, ( and both types can have the stripes).
Dover can be chocolate colored, black, grey, or tan.
Same with Ft. Payne.
There are many varieties of Ft. Payne, like Horse Creek, Buffalo River, Tennessee River, and Blue/Black.
The best way to tell the difference in old artifacts is that Dover usually doesn't patinate like Ft. Payne. Dover will retain most of its true color except for a light "frost".
Most Ft. Payne will patinate to a brownish yellow, to almost white in some instances, and unless a fresh chip or ding is in the artifact, most people won't know the chert is much darker in its fresh form.
Hope that helps!
Ft. Payne and Dover can be almost identical in some instances, however, Ft. Payne comes from the Ft. Payne Limestone Formation, and Dover comes from the St. Louis Limestone Formation.
I've collected thousands of pounds of each, side by side where they erode out of their respective formations.
The one thing I look for in Dover, is what I call, "pepper flecks", which are small black dots that show up near the tiger stripes, ( and both types can have the stripes).
Dover can be chocolate colored, black, grey, or tan.
Same with Ft. Payne.
There are many varieties of Ft. Payne, like Horse Creek, Buffalo River, Tennessee River, and Blue/Black.
The best way to tell the difference in old artifacts is that Dover usually doesn't patinate like Ft. Payne. Dover will retain most of its true color except for a light "frost".
Most Ft. Payne will patinate to a brownish yellow, to almost white in some instances, and unless a fresh chip or ding is in the artifact, most people won't know the chert is much darker in its fresh form.
Hope that helps!
Can you be a little more descriptive next time
Seriously, I really do appreciate that, as well as Crow Terminators response.
Just learning and retaining all the basic knowledge can be overwhelming at times.
I'll tell y'all what sucks, there's a field that I could walk to from my house that has a big spring on it flowing into a larger creek. A older gentleman I know and used to rock hunt with had the opportunity to walk it the one and only time it had been plowed (at least during his lifetime). He found dozens of turkey tails in that field. Makes me depressed knowing there's dozens more in the ground but nothing I can do about it. I know who owns the field and they would let me walk it but it's just a cow pasture, zero kind of soil disturbance.
DoubleRidge
Well-Known Member
Maybe hunt the creek bank or even in the creek, gravel bars....around the spring, cattle trails, under shade trees where cows hang out maybe?...might be worth a shot?
