The Thrill of Finding Prehistoric Indian Artifacts

I'm convinced at this point that artifacts left by prehistoric Indians can be found anywhere in North America - and in most places an extensive collection can be built quickly, once one learns how to find them. That's not very hard to believe once one grasps the fact that most archaeologists believe that prehistoric Indians walked across the Bering Strait during the Ice Age well over 10,000 years ago and they eventually covered the continent. It has been only a little over 500 years since Columbus set foot in America.

When acquaintances discover that we are finding Indian relics, they often ask "what tribe?" When they learn that these Indians predate any tribes that we know of, they are amazed. These Indians are called prehistoric because they predate our history and they left little beyond their tools for us to reconstruct their history.

I have many hobbies, several centering around "collecting," but this one captures my imagination in a way that the others haven't. The anticipation of knowing that it is very possible to find an artifact at any given time that was last held by a human several thousand years ago is hard to describe. It is also fun to research what I find. There are many interesting books on the subject and the internet makes it possible to interact with others who share an interest.

I would suggest to anybody who has even a small interest in history and the outdoors to at least keep their eyes on the ground for artifacts while hiking. After you find one, you will probably want to find another. That's how we got started - with one pretty rock.