# Fish Hook?? What else?



## GillCommander (Apr 18, 2016)

Not sure what any of these are. My girlfriends mother found them, thought you would all find them pretty cool. I believe the one is a fish hook though, and I have seen tons of arrowheads, but never a fish hook. Can any of you tell me what all she has here?? Thank you.


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## blood on the ground (Apr 18, 2016)

I think Nic or the Hillbilly will be able to answer your question best... Either way you have some really nice finds on your hands!


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## NCHillbilly (Apr 18, 2016)

No offense, but to be honest, it looks like those were "found" in a flea market. Looks like a mixture of authentic points and modern ones made by a beginning knapper. Some of the materials are not correct for the southeast, and the "fishhook" looks to be made from Texas Georgetown flint, and has been broken and superglued. 99.9999999999999% of those fishhooks are modern fakes.

The point on the right, and the quartz point look to be authentic. Maybe the one on the left too, but it looks to maybe be Texas flint, also. The others look like heat treated material commonly sold as flakes in beginner flintknapping kits.


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## GLS (Apr 18, 2016)

Here's an article regarding fishhooks recovered from the Aucilla River in Florida.  Made from the cannon bones of deer.
http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/vertpaleo/aucilla11_1/hooks.htm


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## GillCommander (Apr 18, 2016)

Hillbilly,
All these were found near tyrone and palmetto about 40 years ago. The fish hook matter of fact is not superglued. It is broke in half and I just put it together for the picture so yall could see the shape. This is not a flea market deal like you are inquiring. 100% authentic and not modern time hand craft I assure you.


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## westcobbdog (Apr 18, 2016)

The Indians were thick in the area of South Fulton all those thousands of years ago. Far right spear or atlatl point looks like it has the right patina. All very nice pieces. Maybe take the hook to a arrowhead show to be looked at by the experts?


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## YellowKnife (Apr 18, 2016)

Bring your collection to the knap-in in Cartersville this weekend and have an archaeologist look at them. Admission is free and someone would enjoy seeing your stuff I'm sure. Look me up, I plan to be there Saturday and I'll introduce you to some really nice people. From flintknappers to bow makers to pine needle basket makers and much more. Google North Ga. Knap-in for more info.
YK


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## Forest Grump (Apr 18, 2016)

GillCommander said:


> Hillbilly,
> All these were found near tyrone and palmetto about 40 years ago. The fish hook matter of fact is not superglued. It is broke in half and I just put it together for the picture so yall could see the shape. This is not a flea market deal like you are inquiring. 100% authentic and not modern time hand craft I assure you.



His position is based on the fact that a flint (or stone) fish hook has never been found in an archaeological context in N. America. They were made of bone, antler, shell, hooves (& some eventually from copper); but 99.9% of the flint ones are fakes, even those in museum collections. Only one, that I have heard of, was reportedly found in a mound, & it is theorized to be either a decorative object or something other than a tool. 

https://contextintn.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/flint-fishhooks-and-ivory-soap-part-i/

Yours clearly has glue on it? Are you saying you glued it? Maybe someone tried to glue it in the past? If you look at it, does it look like a practical hook? It would snap on the first fish you tried to land. It would have to be swallowed (or gill hooked), by a fish of pretty good size, to work. 

  Sometimes objects like that were given to people who are collectors, & who accepted them in good faith as authentic, unaware of their provenance. Every year we'll have someone who shows "Grandpa's" collection, & it may contain many personal finds, but some will clearly be modern reproductions. It doesn't reflect badly on the poster, or on his grandad, but it's still the truth. The very fact that many museums have flint fish hooks on display in their collections should tell you that even "experts" get duped by clever charlatans.

If she for sure found that "fish hook", she truly should show it to an archaeologist specializing in N. American artifacts, because they would be very interested in it. But be prepared, as they will view it with suspicion, as we have. 

As to the points, they look real enough to me, I won't speak to them.


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## fish hawk (Apr 19, 2016)

I put flint fish hooks in the same category as a flint thunder bird


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## samueljoff (Apr 19, 2016)

I bet it's a fake


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## GillCommander (Apr 19, 2016)

It was never glued. I just put them together to show yall the form. i will post some other pictures tonight or tomorrow. I appreciate the kind help. I am not expert about this stuff at all, thats why I wanted to share with you guys. I can tell you these were not bought though. The hook broke when my girlfriend took it to show and tell when she was a little one. Needless to say her mother was very very upset for obvious reason, but still kept it. Like I said I will post more pictures. I would love to take it to someone for a better look.


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## flintdiver (Apr 20, 2016)

If she found it when she was little, maybe someone "seeded" it for her to find, you know , to spark her interest, maybe mom or dad or granddad . It's not authentic, and it's not any type of material or flint from around south Fulton or Fayette counties. It was not traded into here either, it really is from a flea market originally, or a modern knapper.  I'm in this area, I have people bring me stuff all the time to look at that they did find from here. I have found 100's of points and brokes in this area, several of those points and the hook are highly suspect of not being either from this region, or even authentic.


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## Al White (Apr 21, 2016)

The point on the far right appears real, and maybe the quartz point.  All the other's are recently knapped, no doubt IMO.


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