How To Search for Arrowheads in Pennsylvania

Find a plowed field (the fresher the plow the better), preferably close to or along a water source such as a lake, river or large stream.

Obtain permission from the property owner to search for artifacts on his property.

Walk the field in a pattern that allows you to cover a large portion of the field in your allotted time. For very large fields, you may find that walking the entire length of the field following the plow tracks to the end in each pass is best. For smaller fields or oddly shaped fields, you may find that walking the opposite direction of the plow is the best.

Pick up any piece of hard material that does not appear to match the color of the soil and inspect it. Many arrowheads do not appear to 'fit in' by color. Arrowheads and other artifacts were made out of many types of material including jasper, quartz and flint. Therefore, arrowheads can be many different colors including brown, red, white, black and green. Arrowheads were also made in various shapes depending on the tribe, area and intended use of the projectile.

Take a mental note of areas in which you find arrowhead chips or other evidence that an artifact is nearby. These areas are where you may want to sift deeper into the soil. Arrowhead chips are often very tiny and thin pieces of an original arrowhead that have broken off due to weatherization or possibly by a tractor or plow. Because they are broken pieces, the size, shape and appearance of chips may vary immensely.

Use a small rake, shovel and strainer to sift through soil more efficiently. Using a small rake to gently sift through a larger area of soil may help to uncover artifacts with less damage than using a shovel. Always gently scour the top of the area you wish to search without using a lot of pressure on any tool you are using. Using a small shovel, you can scoop up a decent amount of soil. Put the soil into a strainer or sifter and gently shake it around, or use your hands to allow the dirt to fall through the bottom. This method will allow you to sift through a larger amount of soil in a small amount of time. Most arrowheads and many chips will not be able to fall through the holes in the strainer. When the soil is removed you should be able to investigate the larger remains in the strainer with greater ease.