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$2,600 for old broadhead

Auctioning a buffalo vertebrae with broad-head impaled in it. This is active auction so price may go higher. Started at $25 and quickly went up from there.

Would have never guessed it would go that high.

WOW that is way older than any of us.

Lot # 232 Estimate 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD Group - Category Collectibles - Cultures / Ethnicities Lead Ancient Montana Buffalo Vertebrae with Arrowhead Description "Gene Wensel Collection (Brothers of the Bow). Gene acquired this in the mid 1970. It was originally from a buffalo jump in Montana. Arrowhead is calcified into the bone. This was sent to an archeological society in Ohio. After testing was done on it, Gene received it back. It came from where the base of the neck joins the chest of an immature (teenage) bison. It was buried in gravel, not in dirt or sand. The arrowhead is stone. The buffalo was either shot while laying down or was shot at uphill. This item is Prehistoric. This item is from 3000-5000BC. It was not shot with a bow & arrow. It was shot with an atlatl."

Almost every single one of these are faked. I cannot tell if it is an atlatl point or not, but most buffalo was hunted with a point that was thrown. The real question, is was this a kill site, or an animal that got away, and is it fraudulent? I'm a member of a prehistoric artifact group, and they really caution against buying something like this....even those that are certified with a certificate of analysis, because even those guys get fooled and there are so many fakes.

A little tidbit though? The Rutz Clovis point sold for $276,000, so I suggest digging deep, because those points from the men who crossed the land bridges during the last ice age are worth a house lol

If i didn't find it, I won't believe it, because knappers today are very good. They can then tumble their chert in sand, gravel and dirt, and add "age wear" that fools plenty of people who want to part with their money lol. Without digging on the point you showed, I'd say fake without even looking, even with a C of A. I could certainly be wrong.

Jeff, if this is indeed authentic, it surprises me. We were typing at the same time, so I didn't get to read your post first. Call me leery, but so many are fakes, that even Gene wanted it certified, because he didn't likely believe it. I still don't lol.

That is the Gene Wensel auction. It is authenticated. I have a copper head dated by WI Historical Society at around 3000 years old. My mother found it in a creek when she was a little girl.

Agree with Pete , lots of " Artifacts " are made every day across the country . I see them at gunshows & fleamarkets outwest all the time & refuse to buy any .

I have a nice collection & every single piece has been picked off the ground by me . When I head to NV & AZ this fall I'll spend as much time artifact hunting as I will bowhunting.

My pride & joy is a 9 inch obsidian knife Found in Northern NV while Trout fishing a remote lake . The local experts figured about 1100 years old . Absidian that long is rare. I spotted it 4 ft down between to boulders about 4 inches apart. I used part of the flyrod with my buddys bubble gum to retrieve it . I have been offered stupid money for it .

Gorgeous piece Ruger. Obsidian is as sharp as glass, and was a true gift to the local people of that area.

I'm not denying the piece could be real, or is real. I'm just suggesting that it's a gamble, even with a certificate of analysis. Point being, there are fakes, and there are reputable collectors, and there are reputable people determining whether it is legitimate or not. Like Ruger stated. The only absolute measure, is finding it yourself. Most of the stuff around here is woodland, and in comparison to aboriginal people, rather new, but I still love finding it, and the hunt is as enjoyable as the finds in my opinion. No till farming is making it very difficult to find stuff. There's suggestions that paleo man has been here more than 20,000 years, and some of those points and tools might be five feet deep. I love the topic!

Does anyone one recall the elk antlers and some bones along with a spearhead that was found in the Middle Eau Claire lake in the Town of Barnes?

MJF, I remember a bit of that. There was some interesting things that came from the carbon dating of the bones. It was determined that the bones were like 400 to 600 years old, had what seemed like tool marks on the bones, but the spear point was a fluted clovis which might be 10,000 years old, and likely no newer than like 7000? Two random finds found within each other, but if the carbon dating was authentic or accurate, the bones and point were perhaps unrelated? Again, there's a weird subculture of people who want to be popularized by things that might be falsehoods. I don't recall who or how it was discovered, but the bones of the elk were to be buried in a final resting place. That's the beauty of finding an artifact. The idea it was created by ancient people, how it was utilized, and who was the maker, is the attraction for most. I find flakes of flint or fire rock, and I get excited. Finding a point is even more awesome.

I though it was a spearhead but A local Virginia City expert explained that an exceptional long Absidian was made into a knife for a higher ranking trible member .

They would heat up the Absidian, fill their mouth with water & use a Reed to drip water & frack the Absidian .

They would wrap wet leather strings as a handle . When the knife got dull they would switch the handle . When both were dull it became a hide scraper .Dam I love this stuff .

Yes Ruger. Like finding buried treasure, and show me someone who doesn't love a good treasure hunt? Are morels the best tasting mushroom, or is the true hype, in the discovery? Shed hunting, finding ginseng, bow hunting, fishing, etc. It's the pursuit in my opinion, and the harder or rarer makes the discovery that much more rewarding. Hell, I like picking night crawlers lol. Hunting is in my blood, and that blood goes back to a time we could only imagine.

Your right Pete , its about the hunt . I went to Antigo Thursday to buy a knife collection . I stopped at a garage sale on the way & bought a Sewing Box . A 1930's very decorative sewing box in mint condition Made In BARABOO, WI . For 50 cents . I was excited about that as I was the Knives .

Nice find! 50 cents? That's insulting to the manufacturer who originally made it in the 30's. Even then, the box was worth more than 50 cents lol. Add in the patina and dents and dings, and you got a real deal! I'd be in trouble if I started going to auctions and estate sales. My dad had it bad, and could not pass up a good deal, even if he didn't need it lol. Cleaning out his home after his passing was my burden, because I took half that shit home with me....it must be genetic lol.

I have a lot of yard sale and auction stuff that I bought years ago. Been taking a lot of it to a local online auction company. I am to the point where I can see significant progress in my garage, pole shed, and basement.

I have some newhouse bear traps if anyone is interested pm me. These are not antique originals but were made by Vermillion Lodge in northern Minnesota with permission from the Newhouse trap company heirs. I know I have several #6 traps with California Sesquincentennial engraved on the springs and I think I have one or two #5's that have Wisconsin stamped on them. Also have some setting clamps and maybe some brass pans.

MJF, there was a very old Elk found in the Eau Claire River either going into or out of Middle Eau Claire Lake in Barnes. I thought I had a picture but can't find it

This one?

In July 2005, the Barnes Centennial year, an array of animal bones, a set of antlers, and a fluted spear point were discovered in the lake bed of the Middle Eau Claire Lake in Barnes, WI (Bayfield County).

other interesting comments in the article:

The bones have “kill marks” and significant “butcher marks”; it must have been killed for food,

Carbon-dating determined that the bones were approximately 500 years old, which meant that the elk probably lived between 1400 and 1600 A.D.

The spear point was determined to be a Clovis/Gainey Point made of Jasper Taconite

Huntcell, after doing some research I know exactly where it’s at, we had a cabin in between the Middle & Upper on the river on a few miles from there. I believe there is a little River from the Middle that runs into Pigeon Lake, right in front of the river is where it was found.

" Sweet " , great stuff, but its sad that some Artifacts in WI have a short life outside for the obvious reasons.

great info on the elk guys

I just found 6 artifacts in my basement. Forgot they were in the bottom drawer of a file cabinet while looking for something else. Two #4 1/2 Newhouse Kenwood traps, one with a price tag of $300 on it. I think I bought it on an estate auction long ago but I am sure I did not pay that much for it. Others were another #4 1/2 Oneida, 114 ATC, #50 Newhouse Community NY, and a 4 1/2 Community NY dated 1912. Now I have to do some research on their current values.

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