A First For Me

[jasong]

4 hours ago, JCR said:

I have read they were also commonly made from barrel hoops.

Any idea of the Indian tribe that was in that area post 1850's? Sioux or Cheyenne were known to use them.

I believe both Sioux and Cheyenne frequented this area in the 1850's, along with a few other tribes too like Arapaho, Shoshone, probably Utes too. I wonder if it's possible to tell from the shape which tribe created it, or if they were so widely traded between tribes that it's hard to say?

 

2 hours ago, Jeff McClendon said:

I have been purposely looking for kettle points and trade points at several 19th century "Indian War" sites. The native Americans that used them were very keen on collecting and reusing them and did not leave them on battlefields or hunting sites if at all possible.

This got me curious and there does seem to have been a few battles nearby in the mid 1800's, though they were not at this exact spot. Could have been some flanking, or retreats outside the known battlefield maybe? I just assumed it was a hunting stray but I bet you are right and it would have been collected back up on a hunting trip, so maybe it was from battle?

There is also historic record of early prospectors getting chased out, and killed in some areas here, and not coming back until the 1870's/1880's after the forts were more established. It could have been something like that too maybe.

There is a well known lost battle site in Wyoming, as well as an unknown burial site of cavalry soldiers from that battle that archaeologists have never been able to locate, it's part of early Wyoming pioneer history, I'd love to be able to help search for it but unfortunately I can't get permission from the ranch to cross over their land to get to where I think it must have been.

[Commonwealthdetector]

I thought this was European iron arrowhead/crossbow stuff! 

 Whole different level of awesome finding out that's not the case!   Before this post I had no idea America indians/natives made such points! Freaking awesome dude, I want one!

[schoolofhardNox]

Awesome iron point. I would scour that area just in case it's not a loss from normal hunting but part of some small engagement.