‘Unbelievably rare.’ Centuries-old bow found in muddy Mississippi creek by retiree

A retiree in south Mississippi is being credited with making an astounding archaeological find while digging in the mud of a black water creek near Biloxi.

Scott Summerlin of Wiggins told McClatchy News he spotted “a stick” that closer examination revealed to be an old wooden bow.

However, state archaeologists say “old” is an understatement. A preliminary examination suggests it is centuries-old, most likely Choctaw Nation and may prove to predate written records.

“It is an unbelievably rare find in an area where wooden things decay quickly,” according to James Starnes, director of surface geology for the Mississippi Office of Geology. Starnes is the one who connected Summerlin to experts.

“He found it in a black water stream, rich in tannin, and that can do neat things as far as preserving stuff. This is similar to seeing something frozen hundreds of years in the permafrost, and it is revealed when the ice melts. It’s that kind of rarity in a subtropical environment.”

The Mississippi Department of Archives and history, The Cobb Institute of Archaeology and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma have examined photos of the bow, Starnes says. Their consensus is it’s made in the tradition of “early historic Native Americans” and is likely “a few hundred years old.”

“Everyone is pretty convinced this has a story to tell,” Starnes told McClatchy News. “It was not found in association with an archaeological site. This is something that was probably lost, floated down the creek, got water logged and sank. It was then covered with mud.”

Cobb Institute archaeologist and Museum Manager Derek Anderson says he’s heard of ancient paddles and even canoes being found in Mississippi waters with “just the right combination of sediments and geochemistry.”

But this is the first time he’s heard of a bow being recovered.

“Any time an artifact like this is found, it’s a pretty big deal. Organic materials typically decompose and disappear from the archaeological record — particularly in the hot, humid climate here in Mississippi. On the rare occasion that a wooden artifact like this is found, it gives us insights and information that aren’t possible most of the time,” Anderson told McClatchy News.

Summerlin announced Monday on Facebook that he’s donating the 42-inch-long bow to the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, which is believed to have populated that part of Mississippi before colonization. The Choctaw say they will “preserve, study, radiocarbon date and publish” a report on the bow “to the benefit of Native American heritage preservation.” The nation also hopes to create “a 3D replica” for exhibit in Mississippi.

Summerlin says closer examination revealed a deer head engraved in the wood, along with some kind of cat.

“It belongs to the Choctaw and they should get it back,” Summerlin told McClatchy News, explaining why he didn’t keep it for display. “I was told it could be 300 to 500 years old, which is unbelievable. Imagine, a bow from the 1600s found in a creek? It would be a waste to hang it over a fireplace.”

It was found on five acres that Summerlin and his girlfriend, Cammie, bought last year in Stone County. The pair are avid “tip” (arrowhead) collectors, he said, which is what led them to find the bow.

“We were sifting in the creek and it was in the water, half of it sticking out of the sand,” Summerlin said in a phone interview. “I knew it looked man made, and Cammie is the one who said it looked like a bow.”

A Facebook group called Mississippi fossils & artifacts directed Summerlin to Starnes, who immediately warned that the bow needed to stay in water until preserved, or it would begin to rot. Summerlin has followed the advice and has it in a pipe full of water.

“I have tried to imagine who held that bow and wonder if it’s someone who only let go of it when he was killed or died near the creek,” Summerlin says.

“I guess we’ll never know, but they tell me white people were trying to push them off the land and I wonder if it’s an Indian who died fighting. I can even tell he was right handed: There’s a thumb indentation in the wood from him shooting it so many times.”

The Mississippi Archaeological Association Newsletter intends issue additional details documenting the discovery later this year.

This story was originally published July 22, 2020 at 12:55 PM with the headline "‘Unbelievably rare.’ Centuries-old bow found in muddy Mississippi creek by retiree."