CRESTLINE, Ohio—Arrowhead collectors had the opportunity to showcase some of their treasured artifacts Saturday during the annual Arrowhead Day at the Lowe-Volk Nature Center.
Arrowhead Day at the park offered various displays about ancient cultures. A new addition to this year’s event was a display from the Ohio History Connection, which featured everyday items of the Ft. Ancient Culture, such as pottery sherds, bone tools and game pieces.
Members of the Johnny Appleseed Chapter of the Archaeological Society of Ohio were also present to display their collections and answer attendees’ questions about unidentified items.
“We invite anybody that collects,” said Bill Fisher, director of the Lowe-Volk Nature Center. And that includes members of the local community, such as Tom Wolfe of Bucyrus.
Wolfe said he’s been collecting arrowheads for the past 50 years. His full collection includes about 2,500 arrowheads, many of which were found in the fields of Crawford County, he said.
“I have everything from Paleo-Indian up to historic Indian,” he said.
Some of the items are 11,000-12,000 years old, he said.
While there isn’t really an “art” to spotting an arrowhead, he said, “It just takes a lot of patience and a lot of walking.” He advised, “You should always look on high ground in a field first, and it’s good if you’re close to a river.”
Every day he goes on an arrowhead hunt for about four or five hours, “and even if I don’t find anything, it’s still nice to be outside,” he said.
Rick Carles of Findlay said he found his first arrowhead by accident.
“You just kind of have to key in on what is different from the rest of the natural stones,” he said.
One of his favorite pieces is a dovetail arrowhead, which he found in Hancock County. He said that arrowhead dates back to 8750 BC.
And if you can’t find an arrowhead, you could always make one yourself using a technique called “knapping.”
During the event, Jeremy Snyder demonstrated the proper technique used for knapping, which is basically the shaping of stone. “The rock has to break on a conchoidal fracture,” he said.
Snyder, an employee at Mohican Outdoor School, said he’s been knapping stone for the past 14 years, ever since he learned how from a book he got from the library. He said he teaches kids how to knap stone at summer camps at Pleasant Hill and Mohican Outdoor School.
He uses different types of material, such as flint, obsidian, glass and gemstone. The most challenging material he’s ever used is petrified wood. “I’ve broken my tools on it,” he said.
It takes practice to be able to shape stone, he indicated. “It can be a challenge,” he said.
In addition to various types of arrowheads, people brought other items to put on display. Skip James of Galion, for instance, showcased a turtle shell that she bought. She said it could date back to 7,000-2,000 BC.
Although that item was purchased, she said that she found 95 percent of her collection within Crawford, Richland, and Morrow counties.
“I like collecting,” she said. “It’s good exercise, I gain lots more knowledge and I get to meet a lot of nice people.”
Fisher noted that people will have the opportunity to search for their own arrowheads during their Arrowhead Hunt on Saturday, April 4 at 10 a.m. at Lowe-Volk Park.
