By: Dave Conrad
I remember as a kid walking through freshly plowed fields hoping to discover the arrow heads left behind from the early Indian tribes of Ohio. Of those early tribes, the Shawnee, led by Tecumseh, were most notable in central Ohio. I did find a few arrowheads but never had time to research them as it was more about finding the treasures. With limited information, other than the local library in the early 70’s, it would have been nice to have a valuable resource such as The Official Overstreet Indian Arrowhead Identification and Price Guide published by Random House.
In its Fourteenth publication, Robert M. Overstreet outlays his expertise in a photo enriched paperback covering close to 1400 pages. I admit it is rather hefty but enthusiasts will find it impossible to put down and quickly will become lost within the high quality photos. While skimming through I found myself imagining what it would have been like finding a particular arrowhead or primitive axe head. Better yet how the early Indians used these arrowheads, knifes, clubs and axes in their everyday life? How and by what means were used to shape them? Who within the tribe were responsible for making the tools? Many questions are answered while covering this in-depth and very informative book.
Details abound concerning these relics of the past and will assist everyone from beginners to experts. Overstreet goes into great detail on the different instruments whether it be an arrowhead, scraper, axe, spear or tool. Key points are emphasized on identifying the different type of tool as far as unique characteristics, size, color, as well as type of stone primarily used. The arrowheads are basically broken down into 8 forms and he goes into detail of the differences of each.
The book is comprised of sections, broken down into areas of the United States as well as which states encompass each. Every section begins with the Archaeological Periods to be covered with a list of each head within. The Arrowheads are then listed in alphabetical order with their corresponding Archaeological Period with BP (before present) era.
Collectors will also benefit from suggested pricing as well as buying and selling information with additional market reports loaded with tips. A number of collectors open their favorite finds including the Turtleman, who was the host of “Call of the Wildman” that aired on Animal Planet.
So if you want to know just about everything there is to know about arrowheads in one book I highly recommend Overstreet Indian Arrowheads, available at Amazon.
