Home >> Science & Nature >> Artifacts

How to Know When a Rock Is an Indian Tool?

Native American or Indian artifacts and tools can often be found by digging into the dirt in your back yard, in fields or anywhere they might have lived. Indians made these tools out of rocks and can survive hundreds of years. Identifying when a rock is actually an Indian tool involves carefully inspecting each rock and evaluating whether or not it looks natural. An Indian tool won't look like a naturally occurring rock but as a manmade object.

Things You'll Need

Shovel
Native American tool field guide

Instructions

- 1
  Look for rocks in wooded areas, near lakes, old farm houses or near cleared fields. These fields may have been home to Native Americans hundreds of years ago.
- 2
  Research what tribes lived in your region. The tools used by tribes will vary depending on the tribes in your area, as some were primarily hunters while others grew food. Use this information as a guide in looking for specific tool types.
- 3
  Use a shovel to dig up rocks. Dig a few inches to a foot down. Only dig in areas you own or where you have permission. Otherwise, you may be trespassing.
- 4
  Carefully inspect the rocks you find to look for unnatural shapes. Indian tools will have unnaturally straight lines in the rock, sharply curved sections, carefully molded points and flat surfaces. Naturally formed rocks may have a few of these features, such as very flat surfaces, but rarely all of them.
- 5
  Think of possible uses for the rock you believe may be an Indian tool. Native American tools were simply designed for one purpose and can be compared to modern tools. For example, an Indian hoe will have a similar shape to a modern hoe.
- 6
  Compare the rocks you found to those pictured in your Native American tool field guide. You can find these guides in outdoor shops in your hometown or online. These guides will have a list of tools Indians used in your region and pictures with which you can compare your rocks.

Artifacts