Collector unearths priceless hoard of Indian artifacts

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Brandford, Ont.

Bill Marshall's keen eyes have unearthed a priceless hoard of Indian artefacts and, even though he'll soon be 90, he doesn't need glasses.

Marshall says he can spot an arrowhead where most people wouldn't see anything at all.

Officials at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto says Marshall's 8,000 piece collection, which has been found along the banks of the Grand River, include some of the oldest Indian relics found in North America.

About 7,000 pieces of the collection are on display in the museum, while Marshall keeps about 1,000 at home for display at exhibitions.

The most valuable items found are a number of fluted spearheads which experts say are between 10,000 and 20,000 years old. They are thought to have been used for hunting caribou before bows and arrows were invented.

The collection also includes a stone doll's head, a turtle carved in stone and an assortment of bone tools, ornaments and utensils.