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How to Restore Arrowheads

While flint was widely used by American Indian archers, arrowheads have traditionally been made of just about any hard element that was readily available. And because arrowheads renderings range from bone and flint to copper iron, the integrity and stability of arrowheads can be damaged by improper cleaning. If you'd like to restore an arrowhead you've found, there are some basic cleaning guidelines you should follow to avoid damaging the artifact.

Things You'll Need

Cup of water
Toothbrush
Terry cloth

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a cup with warm water. Don't add chemical cleaners to your water cup -- they could further erode the arrowhead.
- 2
  Dip your arrowhead into the water and swirl it around a bit to loosen up any sediment that has built up on it.
- 3
  Use a toothbrush to gently further loosen the dirt from the arrowhead's exterior. Dip the arrowhead into your water cup to wash away the broken-down sediment. Continue to submerge the arrowhead into the cup and brush away stubborn sediment.
- 4
  Pat your cleaned arrowhead dry with a piece of terry cloth.

Fossil Collecting