5000 BC Copper Celt

[thebigd81]

I posted this in the Whatzit section but now that I know what it is I'll post it here and lock or delete the other since I have it IDed. Found this on the NY PA border and had an archeologist and 2 of her colleagues look at it. She said it is a copper celt that dates to 5000BC and maybe even older. An extremely rare find especially in my area! She believes it is made from Lake Superior copper.

Happy hunting

 

[Mark kus]

That’s a cool find !
Mark

 

[fwcrawford]

That is an amazing find!!!!

 

[IowaRelic]

Incredible!

 

[MikeO]

Wow now that’s cool.
5000 before Christ holy smokes that’s like OoooooooolD

 

[laplander]

Thats an amazing find! Great job saving it and getting it ID'd
HH Jeff

 

[IowaRelic]

Wow now that’s cool.
5000 before Christ holy smokes that’s like OoooooooolD

That’s back when holy smokes were still new!

 

[MikeO]

That’s back when holy smokes were still new!

NoNo it’s BC “holy smokes” where not even invented yet. It was just “smokes”.

 

[Ronstar]

Again, I live on the wrong coast....... good job!

 

[IowaRelic]

I would say along any major waterway or coast has opportunities for finds with that age. Native Americans were said to originate after last ice age, so 10k years ago? I know my dad was extensive in his knowledge of Indians around iowa, some of his finds were estimated he thought 4,000+ yrs by their technique of manufacture. All stone artifacts of course. To find something metallic at all is amazing to me considering Indians in the Mississippi valley were mining and using lead in the 16-1700s. Prior to trade with Europeans in the contact period. So that would be super advanced at 5,000 BC. Just my thought. I’m able to get lost in that kind of stuff.

 

[thebigd81]

I would say along any major waterway or coast has opportunities for finds with that age. Native Americans were said to originate after last ice age, so 10k years ago? I know my dad was extensive in his knowledge of Indians around iowa, some of his finds were estimated he thought 4,000+ yrs by their technique of manufacture. All stone artifacts of course. To find something metallic at all is amazing to me considering Indians in the Mississippi valley were mining and using lead in the 16-1700s. Prior to trade with Europeans in the contact period. So that would be super advanced at 5,000 BC. Just my thought. I’m able to get lost in that kind of stuff.

The history of natives is astonishing. From talking to them today and doing some research some period copper has shown up in the Michigan area. To find copper where I am is rare and to find copper this old is extremely rare from what she said. The celt saw tons of use from what she said looking at it. The one guy that stopped and looked at it was basically speechless and more or less said you don't know how rare it is. I was going to donate it but before I met with them I sent a message saying I'm holding onto it for a bit but they still wanted to see it which I was fine with. As I left the lady that set me up with the archeologist said PLEASE DONT SELL IT which under no circumstances would I sell. This thing is priceless as far as I'm concerned

 

[jim tn]

I like your thinking thebigd81. Its not just all about the money, is it? Great find! HH jim tn

 

[gunwolf]

Excellent find! and congrats on the dating and ID! I would not donate it , but insure it if you can and possibly "loan" it to a museum or exhibit...that way you own it but they can show it and are resposible for it. just a thought.

ETA: I'm from NY originally, and lived on the shores of lake ontario, which way back when was called lake iroquois and covered NYS to about the mid region, I have heard stories from a few relic guys about many native artifacts being found in groupings along what would have been the shore of lake iroquois. I learned about it in doing MD researching.

 

[NJearthman]

Two Hopewell Copper Celts AND An Old Copper Culture Adz, From the Collection of Roger Mussatti, Michigan

Hopewell Culture, Middle Woodland Period, 200 B.C. - 400 A.D. [celts] Old Copper Culture, 7000-3000 B.C. [adz] Keweenaw County, Michigan lot of 3, longest 2.5 in. ...

www.cowanauctions.com

 

[plowboy]

Part of the fun of this hobby is your imagination, just think who might have held that piece in their hand! If it could speak, what would it say..............

 

[fwcrawford]

I remember either seeing a program on TV or reading an article about some very old copper mines up around that area that experts were trying to determine who was mining way back... you may have solved the mystery with that piece!!!