In a quest for arrowheads and other Native American artifacts, I spent a great deal of my childhood and teen years walking slowly across freshly-plowed fields and scouring creek beds. I had never heard the term provenance and my only concept of archaeology involved caveman displays in the natural history section of the museum.
As it turns out, I was engaging in a sort of amateur or backyard archaeology. However, due to my lack of comprehension of the importance of provenance, my container filled with arrowheads is, from an archaeological standpoint, simply a container filled with pointy rocks.
What Is Provenance?
The word provenance translates as point of origin. For something to be considered a verifiable artifact, provenance, or knowing where and when it was found, is important.
To an archaeologist, that means record-keeping is vital. If "I found this in the attic when I moved to my new house" is the only information you have about an artifact, then of course that should be recorded. The more accurate the information is, however, the more significant the artifact will be considered.
Valuable provenance information includes the name of the finder, the location where the artifact was found, and the date of find.
How Should an Amateur Archaeologist Use This Information?
Record-keeping adds a little bit of work for backyard archaeologists, but it is worthwhile because it increases the value of the artifacts.
- Carry a notebook or journal when you go out to hunt arrowheads or other artifacts. This lets you write a description and instantly record the location of the find. If you are lucky enough to find more than one treasure, you won't get home and wonder which artifact came from a field in X county and which one you found in a creek bed.
- Carry a camera or a cell phone that has a camera, and snap a picture of the artifact with, if possible, a coin to show scale and a distinguishable landmark in the scenery behind the find. This is a helpful addition to the written record you prepare in the journal, especially if you store pictures with the written record at a location away from where the artifacts are housed.
- Carefully label each storage container or display case. You don't have to include the full information unless you want to, but it is a good idea to include the geographic area where the pieces were found. This extra labeling effort provides information about the artifacts without pulling out and sifting through your written records. You can always refer to the records if you need more information.
- Share your findings with the local historical society, museum, or archaeological department.
While some professional archaeologists feel the hunt for archaeological artifacts should be their exclusive domain, it is possible for someone hunting arrowheads in a field to keep accurate records as proof of provenance, as long as the amateur understands the importance of accuracy and then documents the find accordingly.
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Laure Justice - Laure is a Topic Editor for Suite101, covering three topics. View her full profile for details and contact information.
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