Any Archaeologists Here?

[roswelljero]

Last year an aunt gave me 2 large boxes of stone artifacts, mostly from Peru. There's also a few pottery shards, some things from Bolivia and elsewhere.



There are 124 pics here > public.fotki.com/jero/events/william-j-kornfield/
I took a pic of both sides of most of them.

My aunt works for a Missionary retirement village in Florida. This collection was left behind after Mr. Kornfield died and his family took what they wanted. The reason she gave it to me was to raise $$$ for the retirement village.

One of the local universities said they would try to identify the pieces, but wouldn't put any values on them. I'd have to leave the items with them until they've been looked at, but they won't be held liable if I don't get something back.

I need to do something with them. What would you do?

If you happen to know what some of the odd items are, please tell me! I only know general names like arrowhead, axe head, scraper, etc.

Thanks for looking.

Later,
jeri

[texaswoodie]

I would send them to a very deserving, kind, honest, wonderful human being in East Texas.

Curt

[texaswoodie]

Maybe I should get serious. ;D

Don't know any archeologist, but you should be able to find most of what you have on the net. It'll cost you a lot of time, but no money.

Curt

[tkrueger3]

Is there a natural history museum anywhere near you? If there is, they might be willing to at least identify them for you. As far as value, I'd have no clue whatsoever. I'd get on eBay and see if there is anything simiilar being sold, and if there is, what kind of money has been bid on it.

Just MHO. Good luck with your quest!

Tom

[Toad]

If this collection is actually valuable, it would be worth paying someone a fee to look at it for you. After all, time is money. As for the university not accepting liability, I'm sure that is standard practice - CYA. Likely your collection would be fine with them, but that is your call.

Tom had a good idea with the natural history museum - maybe St. Louis has one?

Good luck.

[Fossilman]

Also if you can make time-use your local library for information on ID's and names of people that could help you out.......

[roswelljero]

Thanks for the suggestions! I hadn't thought of museums. Duh!

I did contact a local club that collects stone artifacts, but they said they couldn't help because the stuff is from south america.

What I think is really neat is the book! But it's in Spanish and I can't read it.

I've also heard of a law prohibiting posession of foreign artifacts... Anyone know anything about that?

Later,
jeri

[Hard Rock Cafe]

I can't help with much, but the title of the book is "The Significance of the Stone Industry of Paijan, Peru".

Cool stuff for the right person.

Chuck

[rockchalk]

I took a degree in Anthro fifteen years ago with emphasis on Plains Archaeology, so I know a very little bit about these things. My opinion, after looking over the photos for a while and doing some googling, is that you have some potentially valuable pieces. The good news is that you actually have ID and provenance for most of them. The names you have are site names and cultural complex names and most pieces seem to have been excavated scientifically (not gathered). Keep the pieces with the ID papers/cards/envelopes!! This adds to the value for collectors and insures that the pieces can be sold through legal and above board venues or dealt directly to museums if the provenance is very solid. Just for collectors, the finer points and obsidian pieces, the better formed and preserved blades/scrapers/projectile points are attractive if the sites they came from and the dating is available. The bronze axe (possible Tiwanaku) is potentially very valuable I would think. The Paijan material is paleo, very old indeed, and should appeal to someone though the value may not be high since the material is mostly broken and from the production processes (cores - thus the emphasis of the thesis on the identifiable changes in lithic processes). I would first try to shop the collection, all the papers and and the thesis with it, and try to find any scientific papers you can about the particular sites that are the sources for the material. As long as you know where the pieces came from you can try to sell the better individual items like the really nice points and the bronze axe. I wouldn't dare to say what you might get for them, dealing antiquities is all about finding the buyers who really want the item, and that can be tough. Start with the big name reputable artifact dealers, they could probably ballpark for you just from the photos you already have. Good luck, hope this helps!!!

Scott

[roswelljero]

Chuck thanks for the translation.

Scott, I appreciate your long post full of info and suggestions... Now I know that it's probably worth paying for an appraisal... I have lots of Googling to do... From watching Antiques Roadshow I knew that provenance increased value, but it never crossed my mind that it might be required... [glow=red,2,300]How do I find "big name reputable artifact dealers"?[/glow]

Do you guys think it would be OK to start a "What is it?" thread for some of the stranger items? Can't Google it, if I don't know what it's called.

Later,
jeri

[Toad]

You never know who might know something here. Give it a shot.

[MikeS]

I have a book that helps identify arrowheads and similar artifacts, and gives a ballpark value on them. These values, however, are quite subjective...the book could say a certain piece is worth $50-$100, but really it's only worth what somebody is willing to pay for it...

[jcinpc]

Overstreet is good for a picture book and point ID but forget those prices they have on there, its a joke. THe book is broken up into regions and that should be helpfull

[roswelljero]

I agree mikes... Only worth what someone is willing to pay... I'm just trying to sort out what may be valuable, so I don't throw it in my tumbler! Some of the pieces have nice patterns. ;D

jcinpc thanks for the book suggestion... Any idea if it covers South America?... Duh! What's wrong with me?... I can Google it and find out.

Later,
jeri

[MikeS]

Well, I certainly wouldn't throw any of them in the tumbler...

The book is called "Arrowheads & Projectile Points- Identification & Values" by Lar Hothem. It covers mostly the US and Canada, but I imagine that points from other regions would be similar in many respects, it would at least give you an idea....

[elementary]

My wife is an archeologist with a Phd. She did her doctorate work in Peru for the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her field was not stone points, but she might know someone at the university who might help, or you can contact UCSB yourself.

I'll ask her.

[montezuma]

If you need a loose translation, try something like:
babelfish.yahoo.com/

It will translate, as best it can, Spanish to English. You're talking about Peruvian Spanish and that is slightly different. If there is a lot to translate, try the Spanish teacher in the school.

[roswelljero]

Thanks for the recent replies. I've put this project on the "back burner" (again) for a while. Busy with work and the holidays. I'll keep checking in though.

Later,
jeri