Texas Living

Where to Find Arrowheads in Texas

By Peter Simek 10.28.21

Few things can make history come alive like holding an authentic historical artifact in your hand. In Texas, one of the easiest ways to achieve this feeling is to go out searching for Native American arrowheads. Texas was home to dozens of Indigenous peoples for more than 12,000 years before Spanish and Anglo settlers began colonizing Texas. Today, there are many spots around the state where you can search for traces of their lives and cultures.

Rules Around Arrowhead Hunting

As you begin your search, it’s important to keep a few laws and safety tips in mind:

  • Ask permission before entering private property.
  • If you are on government land, you cannot remove any artifacts without a www.cordevigessoa.org by the Texas Antiquities Committee.
  • Most importantly, never search on tribal lands or areas that are – or are suspected to be – sites of Native American cemeteries or burial grounds.

Archaeological Preservation

When searching for arrowheads, it is important not to dig. Arrowheads found on the surface of the ground may have been stray tools used by mammoth-hunting tribes thousands of years ago — or they could indicate the presence of a larger archeological site. If you dig for arrowheads, you could disrupt an important archaeological find — or even a burial site.

While it is OK to remove arrowheads you find on the https://printveela.com/situs-slot-gacor, you should alert a local archaeologist as well as the landowner about your find. With further research, your surface discovery could lead to unlocking deeper historical mysteries hidden beneath the surface of the earth.

Begin With History

Arrowheads may be found throughout Texas, but you’ll have more luck arrowhead hunting in areas where Native American activity was greatest. All Native American tribes relied on arrowheads for important societal functions, such as hunting, fishing, and warfare. East Texas was home to many large Indigenous civilizations, and today the area is fertile ground for arrowhead hunting. Other large populations lived along the Gulf Coast and in the lower Rio Grande Valley. The northern prairies and Hill Country were home to more sparsely populated Native American settlements; the dry West and Panhandle were the domains of nomadic tribes.

When to Look

Arrowheads are often buried under dirt and sediment that has built up over many hundreds (if not thousands) of years. Human activity, such as excavation and construction sites, can churn up long-buried treasures. After rainstorms, look for arrowheads in wet ground, particularly on the banks of creeks. Along the coasts, tidal changes can reveal arrowheads.

Best Places to Search in Texas

A handful of prominent arrowhead hunting sites in Texas have been popular throughout the years because they have proven to be fertile ground.

Big Thicket: The woods of Southeast Texas were once prime hunting grounds for Indigenous communities, which makes them prime hunting grounds for arrowhead seekers. Amateur archaeologists have had some success searching creek bottoms near Woodville.

Guadalupe River: If you’re hunting for arrowheads in the Texas Hill Country, try searching the banks of the Guadalupe River southeast of Kerrville near Center Point.

San Marcos: Archaeological finds near San Marcos have included artifacts that date back more than 12,000 years to the Clovis Civilization, one of the oldest inhabitants of North America. Try your luck on the banks of the Blanco River.

Silsbee: In Southeast Texas, north of Beaumont, Beech Creek and Village Creek were once home to large Indigenous communities. Today, the area is relatively productive for arrowhead hunts.

Dig deeper into Texas’ Native American art here: www.hifq.com.

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