Darrel Higgins has been hunting creek beds for artifacts since he began finding them on farmland when he was a child. But nothing he had found compared to the 9 3/4 inch by 2 3/4 inch specimen he recently found in western Kentucky (USA). The item, described as a clovis point made of buffalo river chert, dates back to an estimated 14,000 to 18,000 years, and was submerged in a creek bed when Higgins stumbled upon it.  
     Higgins was reluctant to specify where he found the clovis, but said he immediately went to his long-time friend and artifact expert Tom Davis in eastern Kentucky to have the item authenticated. Davis dated the clovis back to the days of when prehistoric man roamed the earth and hunted large game. By measurement, it sets a North American record. "There are some skeptics because of the size of it. But it's a record. There's one as long found in Washington state but it's not as wide," Higgins said. He had it authenticated again during the Genuine Indian Relic Society show in Temple, Texas and was able to show it off to enthusiasts.
     The process of discovering an item that has been buried for so long is mainly fueled by rain and erosion. Higgins said that arrowheads, spearheads and other artifacts were left behind or lost at campsites and kill sites near creeks. A creek served as a source for water for early man as well as a place to find wild game to hunt for food. Over time, the sites were covered up. As the creeks have changed paths and continued to cut through the earth, portions of the sites have become exposed, bringing the artifacts back to the surface. To find artifacts, Higgins walks up and down creek beds while keeping his eyes locked on the ground. He doesn't dig or excavate, but looks for what the rains and water have exposed. His eyes are trained to look for perfectly straight edges and sharp points among the rocks and pebbles.

Source: Murray Ledger & Times (20 June 2010)