This stone dart point was made by Native Americans who used it for hunting, more than 1000 years before the Williams family lived at the farm! We think one of the Williams family members found the dart point and placed it under the firebox of the chimney while the cabin was being built. Perhaps Ransom put it there as a magic charm for good luck or to ward off evil spirits. Archeologists have found other dart points hidden in slave cabins and plantation houses in the southern United States. Former slaves said these special tokens were placed under structures for spiritual purposes or to appease the ancestors. Windows, doors, and chimneys were considered special places in African American homes. Perhaps the dart was placed there to prevent spirits from entering through the chimney. The black line in the photo points to the spot where archeologists found this special item, nearly 150 years later.

Most cultures have some sort of good luck charms and spiritual customs that make people feel lucky and safe. Among the Irish people, the four-leaf clover was a lucky charm. Finding one was supposed to bring good luck, and the finder was advised to keep the leaf in a book or sewn into an article of clothing, The British legend behind lucky horseshoes dates back to ancient times in England, where nails were hammered into house walls to keep away plague and witches. Horseshoes were nailed over doors to provide protection from evil.