How to Avoid Buying Fake Indian Artifacts
Fiction
- There are “experts” in the avocation who can always spot fake or newly made Indian artifacts.
- Attending an Indian artifact show guarantees that you will see only authentic artifacts.
Facts
- If an artifact is “too good to be true” in terms of price, size or rarity, then it is most likely a fake.
- If an artifact type is very rare and is offered for sale at a flea market, “antique” shop or through the internet, it is probably a fake. Almost all rare artifacts that are sold (i.e. monolithic axes, birdstones, Great pipes, quartz bannerstones, etc.) quietly move from collection to collection.
- Do not believe everything seen in museums as being authentic ancient artifacts. Many museums display reproductions because the ancient ones are too rare and expensive or because the museum curators are not knowledgeable enough to know fakes from authentic artifacts.
How to Collect
- Collect only artifacts found in the area in which you live.
- Visit and study collections of personally found artifacts.
- Learn to use a 10X or 20X hand lens and a black light.
- If you purchase, buy only from someone you know and completely trust.
- Always get a life time money back guarantee if the artifact you buy turns out to be a fake.
- Attend only artifact shows that make a concerted effort to keep out fakes.
- Build a library of books on collecting Indian artifacts
Artifact Types Most Often Faked
- Chipped artifacts - Probably 95+% of the following types in the market place are fakes
Fluted points - Clovis, Cumberland, Folsom, Redstone, etc.
Fulton Turkey tail
St Charles Dovetail
Large Dalton
Hardins
Agate Basin
2. Pipes, especially Alate, Copena, Hopewell and Human/Animal Effigy pipes
3. Slate Artifacts such as Gorgets, Pendants, Birdstones and Bannerstones
4. Monolithic Axes – there are only about 30 authentic ones known to exist
5. Engraved Shell Gorgets
6. Large Grooved Axes
Most Often Faked Materials
- Edwards Plateau Chert - origin Texas - Chipped artifacts of all types
- Flint Ridge Flint - origin Ohio - Chipped artifacts of all types
- Mill Creek and Burlington Chert - origin Illinois/Missouri - Chipped artifacts of all types
- Hornstone - origin Kentucky - Chipped artifacts of all types
- Alibates Flint - origin Texas - Chipped Paleo points
- Glass - used to make fake rock crystal points
- Porcelain - man made ceramics - Chipped artifacts of all types
- Banded Slate - origin Mid-West - Pipes, Bannerstones, Gorgets and Pendants
- Soapstone (Steatite) - origin Southeast - Pipes, Bannerstones, Gorgets and Pendants
Faked Patination
Most faked artifacts have no false patination but some are faked as shown below:
- Dirt rubbed into chipped artifact hinge fractures - and old faker’s trick that still works
- Shot or sand blasted - removes “new” sharp edges
- Fakes buried in manure for a period of time – common trick – do not lick
- Fakes covered with bloody meat or molasses and baked – realistic patination
- Fakes acid etched – usually appear whitish color that disappears when artifact is wet