I found these two rocks while I was digging in my backyard. I live in the Rancho Goleta mobile home park.

one looks very distinctly like an arrowhead and the other one... maybe, it's broken?

I thought the likelihood would be high that they were authentic because of the history of this area. And the location of the mobile home park in relationship to Goleta Beach.

Barb, Goleta - May 25, 2026

Curator Response

Hi Barb,

Based on the photos you shared, it looks like the smaller item is probably a chert projectile point which appears to have the basal end broken off. Chert is a material traditionally used by the Chumash for manufacturing projectile points because it fractures in a controlled manner when worked. The visible flake scars and intentional flaking patterns appear consistent with stone tool production and edge shaping associated with projectile point manufacture.

The larger item looks like it could be a kind of igneous rock and not a common material used in making projectile points. It is hard to tell from the image, but it is possible that it was used as a scraper or an expedient tool of some kind. As we’ve noted in our FAQ, trying to authenticate objects based on photos has its limitations.

Indeed, that area along the Goleta coast may have been one of the most densely inhabited zones in aboriginal California. If you’re interested in learning more about the long history of human settlement at Goleta Slough, you might like to read Goleta Slough Prehistory: Insights Gained From a Vanishing Archaeological Record, edited by the late Michael A. Glassow, Ph.D. This monograph was published by the Museum in 2020 and is available in the Museum Library and Store.

Sincerely,

Curatorial Assistant Allison Jaqua, M.A.