Historic Native American Artifact Found In Westbrook

WESTBROOK, CT — A Native American history hobbyist this week had a dream come true when he stumbled across a small stem point — a stone arrowhead — on the beach in Westbrook.

Evan Honeyman told Patch he had come home to Westbrook from Farmington to visit his parents over Memorial Day weekend when he made the discovery.

Honeyman said he regularly walks the beaches of Westbrook. On the day in question, Honeyman said he was pacing the beach, picking up waste and litter, when something unexpected washed up in front of him: the small stem point experts now estimate to be between 2,000- and 3,000-years-old.

"To be able to find this small stem point, likely a spear head, was extremely exciting and only fuels my curiosity even more," he said.

Honeyman said his curiosity comes from his longtime hobby of casually researching Connecticut's Native American History.

"It's very truthfully our beginnings," he said. "Even though the piece that I found was between 2,000 and 3,000-years-old — that’s the tightest range I got form the three experts I spoke with — I may have been the fist person in thousands of years to touch this spearhead."

Honeyman said he reached out separately to three experts, two archeologists and a geologist, including the Connecticut state archeologist, to confirm the artifact's legitimacy.

"In my gut, I felt like it was something, but I told myself: 'Don't get too excited. Let’s confirm that this is real, and then we’ll get excited.'"

Now, with confirmation that the artifact is real and historical, Honeyman said he's reached out to historians at the Peabody Museum at Yale in New Haven to determine next steps. But, his ultimate goal is to keep the stem point in his family to pass down.

"If I’m allowed to keep it, I will. I’m going to frame it. It’s my hope to be able to pass it down through the family," he said. "It’s a great reminder of our beginnings and the Native American culture here. It’s exciting to be able to proudly display that in my home."

Honeyman encourages everyone to explore nature when possible.

"Go for a walk on a beach; go for a walk on a trail; explore different areas," he said. "Keep your eyes open, and you just might find something."