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		| A Hard Rewarding Hunt
 | by Bernie Fritz |  
	  | Central States Archaeological Societies 2025 October Journal |  West Burlington, Iowa |  
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      | This excerpt from "A Hard Rewarding Hunt" published
            in the 2025 Central States Archaeological Societies 2025
            October Journal  Read the complete column in the Central States
            Archaeological Societies 2025
            October Journal which can be purchased on-line after March 2026 |  
      |   |  
      |     Figure 1. The front face of the axe found by
          the author in 2019. It measures 8" in length and weighs 8 lbs.
        At bottom: Figure 2. The obverse face of the axe. Note the slight damage
        to the bit area. |  I have been hunting for Indian artifacts since 1978. That was the year in
      which I found my first arrowhead. I hunt mainly in Des Moines County in
      the state of Iowa. This area has produced a myriad of artifacts representing
      different time periods - from Late Paleo to Mississippian. Like all avid
      artifact hunters, the places to hunt are diminishing considerably. I believe
      we all know the reason for this situation at hand. Consequently, there
      has been an increase in competition for those areas that are still available.
      I am grateful and fortunate that I have access to a site that has been
      quite productive. The former farmer and landowner picked up many arrowheads
      and axes while engaged in farming at this site. The current owner does
      not hunt for Indian relics but grants me the prerogative to do so. I have
      been hunting this field since my inception to hunting.
 Like most farming operations, currently moldboard plowing is a practice
    of a bygone era. However, some chisel tilling does take place. This does
    turn some ground over. It so happens that this operation took place after
    the 2019 fall harvest.  The date was November 11, 2019, and being a mild day, I decided to venture
    out and search my favorite site. It had recently rained for a couple of days,
    and the field had been planted with beans, resulting in not much reside on
    the surface, unlike corn.  After a few minutes into my hunt I came across a large ...       Read other great columns in the Central States Archaeological Societies 2025
      October Journal which can be purchased on-line after March 2026            
 
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