> > That is a beauty, and nearly perfect. Collectors in this area call that a "bird point" because it looks like something to shoot at birds.
> >
> > I found one in my garden several years ago, and another one in the front yard. This was the heart of the Cherokee nation.
> > Howard
>
> Wow. I did not know that. I wouldn't call it nearly perfect, the horribleness of the picture doesn't let you see the rust stains or the many chips it has in it, but it's still pretty good. I'm trying to remember if the rust stains were there before or after I got it lost & stuck in the U-bend of the bathroom sink when I was 9, I think. Thankfully, Dad was nice enough to take the pipes apart to get it. :)
>
> So, that arrowhead has been through a lot. Mostly it's just been sitting in a 18-egg egg carton along with a bunch of rocks from my collection from when I was younger.
>
> Always cool to learn something new.
>
>
> -zK

The outline shows only a small chip missing. Most of the surface chips were probably done by the Indian who made it. Flint, chert, obsidian and other materials that were used for arrow heads are tough stuff and can survive hundreds, even thousands, of years in the soil. Most of the damage is the result of agriculture.

In this area, there was a culture that we call the "Early Woodland Indians." Their arrow heads are a couple of thousand years old. The Cherokees were here a lot more recently. Their arrowheads are difficult to tell from the earlier ones, often found in the same areas. Personally, I don't know the difference.

The Holy Grail of arrowheads is the clovis point, a distinctive design that goes back to the days when people first lived on this continent. I've never found one of those.

Don't worry about the rust stains. I wouldn't even bother to clean them off.
Howard