Author Michael McCafferty writes in “Native American Place Names of Indiana” that "Indiana" translates to "Land of the Indians" and was once home to several native tribes including the Miami, Potawatomi, Delaware and Shawnee. Given the area’s rich Native American history, the chances of finding an authentic arrowhead, or projectile point, still exist.
The original inhabitants of the land contained in what is now known as Delaware County were the Miami and Shawnee Indians. The main town of Muncie was named for the Delaware Indians, who had arrived from the east during the 1770s. In the book “Legends of the Delaware Indians and Picture Writing (Iroquois and Their Neighbors),” author Richard C. Adams says that the Delaware people received permission from the Miami to live in the country between the Ohio and White rivers. At one time they had six villages. But by 1840, the Delaware and other tribes had been removed to reservations by the United States government. Delaware County was once home to The Prophet, the brother of Tecumseh, who instigated a native uprising in 1811.
Although a majority of known Indian battlefields and village sites have been claimed by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR), there are still many public and private areas to hunt for arrowheads. Indians camped and lived near water, and the main waterways in Delaware Country are the Wabash River and the East Fork of the White River. Along the banks of the smaller tributaries, such as the Muddy Fork of Salt Creek and Pipe Creek, are real hotbeds for arrowheads.
Delaware County was never the scene of any of the great battles fought between tribes or the white settlers. However, the dense, unbroken forests outside the towns of Muncie and Yorktown provided excellent hunting grounds for the Indians and in turn great chances to find arrowheads. In 2007, an earthen enclosure built by Native Americans was discovered during road construction just to the east of Yorktown, giving new life to arrowhead hunting along the woods of State Highway 32.
Do not trespass. Obey state laws. Indiana prohibits the damage, interference with or removal of artifacts or rocks from land owned by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Anyone who discovers artifacts must report their findings to the agency within two days.
