Arrowheads and Stone Artifacts: A Practical Guide for the Amateur Archaeologist

by C.G. Yeager

Overview

Acknowledged by Dr. H. M. Wormington as “very helpful for amateurs who truly care about archaeology,” the nationally recognized first edition is now revised, with a foreword written by Dr. George C. Frison, Professor Emeritus University of Wyoming and Paleoarchaeologist of the Century. This practical, down-to-earth guide for surface collectors of arrowheads and stone artifacts is designed especially for amateur archaeologists and people interested in learning how to study and collect artifacts safely and responsibly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780871089922
Publisher:	West Margin Press
Publication date:	12/03/2012
Series:	The Pruett Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	226
File size:	7 MB

About the Author

C. G. “Gary” Yeager, of Loveland, Colorado, has been a student of archaeology for more than forty years. He has been a practicing attorney for thirty years after serving in the United States Navy in the Vietnam War. A descendant of early Colorado settlers, Gary is proud of his agricultural heritage and his degree in Agricultural Business, which he received from Colorado State University in 1964. His grandfather cultivated his interest in archaeology by taking him arrowhead hunting in the early 1950s after his first visit to the Loveland Stone Age Fair. Gary has been a history buff and collector of interesting items for most of his life. In addition to stone artifacts, he also collects farm toys, pencils and pens, and various other nostalgic memorabilia. He also has played finger-style guitar for many years. He has had a longtime association with the Loveland Archaeological Society and has served as chairman of the annual Loveland Stone Age Fair for many years. Despite all of his extracurricular activities, he still enjoys his family and family activities most of all. Gary and his wife, Sue, live on rural acreage in Colorado, not far from their daughter, Debbie, and her family.

Read an Excerpt

Most people who have found a beautiful arrowhead would agree that the excitement brought on by the discovery is the main reason they search for artifacts. Let’s face it, finding any nice stone artifact can be a fun and very exciting experience, especially for those of us who respect history and how our ancestors lived years ago. For example, I have a tremendous respect for any stone age culture that survived because of the ability to create tools—mainly tools chipped from stone, which was the most obvious natural material they had to work with. It is true that many tools were made of wood, bone and other ‘perishable’ materials, but these materials gradually disintegrate on the surface of the ground and have long since disappeared, leaving only stone artifacts remaining to be found. Occasionally, bone or wood artifacts will show up in caves and other protected surface areas, but it is mainly the stone artifacts that withstand the elements and are not destroyed over time.

Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Illustrations Foreword Preface Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1 Amateur Archaeologists’ Code of Ethics Chapter 2 Antiquity Laws—Is Your Activity Legal? Chapter 3 Why Look for Artifacts? Chapter 4 The “Flint” Materials Chapter 5 How Artifacts Were Made Chapter 6 Arrowhead, Spearpoint, or Knife? Chapter 7 Stone Artifacts Chapter 8 Where Artifacts Are Found Chapter 9 How to Hunt Artifacts Chapter 10 Modern-Day Flintknapping Chapter 11 Documentation and Preservation Chapter 12 Organizations and Activities Glossary Recommended Reading Bibliography Meet the Author Index

Editorial Reviews

"Very helpful for amateurs who truly care about archaeology." –Dr. H. M. Wormington renowned archaeologist

From the Publisher