Arrowhead

Have you ever found a rock shaped like the state or country in which you live? As a child, I did! The rock wasn't very large, probably no larger than the pad of my thumb, but it was shaped very much like the state in which I lived at the time. I thought I still had it and was going to include a photo of it in this post. IF it's still here, it's location eludes me, and I might not have kept it.

But, the first serious item in my collection of rocks /stones /crystals was an arrowhead, given to me by my father-in-law from my first marriage. He had a large garden which he tilled with a tractor, and frequently found old arrowheads while working the soil. The property he owned was part of the hunting lands used by the Cherokee and perhaps other neighboring First Nations as well. So, this is likely an old Cherokee relic.

It was made from a piece of white quartz, which is abundant in the Appalachian mountains and piedmont regions of the southeastern US. Quartz exists as individual rocks as well as being one of the components of several common forms of granite.

Quartz is a relatively hard rock, falling at 7-out-of-10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. Although quartz is a hard rock, it breaks relatively easily if struck, forcefully, by another rock (especially a harder one, such as topaz). In this manner, arrowheads were shaped and the edges honed to their relative sharpness. Once shaped and sharpened, the arrowheads were attached to a wooden shaft by sinew, a strong glue, or with hafting^[3] techniques.

If you plant a garden for flowers or vegetables, keep your eyes peeled for arrowheads, especially if you live in a region that was once occupied by Native Americans. You might be surprised at what you find! Arrowheads are favored by collectors, but prices are modest so finding a few will not make one wealthy.

Wikipedia shared an astonishing statistic from one of their sources:

Modern enthusiasts still "produce over one million brand-new spear and arrow points per year."

This post would not seem complete without a brief remembrance of my late father-in-law, the man who gave me the arrowhead. He was one of the kindest men I have ever met in my life and was a joy to be around because he was so even-tempered. He always made me feel welcome, as part of the family. R.I.P., Mr. W. ^❤️

This photo from the early 1980s shows him giving my son a ride on his tractor, the one he always used in the garden. I am not sure what brand it is, but perhaps a tractor aficionado can help?

Based on the color of the tractor and the fact that the first-letter of the name starts with an "A," it might be an Allis-Chalmers (as that brand is common in the US) even though the second letter doesn't look much like an "L" (unless part of it is worn away). I wish I had paid more attention to it when I was there, but such is life.