HARKERS ISLAND, N.C. (WNCN) — Visitors at the Cape Lookout National Seashore found a projectile point blade that rangers and archaeologists identified as being at least 8,000 years old.

The point blade, identified as a Kirk Corner-Notched Point, was found on April 16.

The archaeologist that identified the blade said it is likely 8,000-10,000 years old, dating back to 6,000-8,000 BCE.

The Kirk Point itself was identified by a man by the name of Joffre L. Coe in 1964 in Hardaway. This point blade is most commonly found in the eastern seaboard region of the United States, the Gulf Coast region, and the Tennessee and Ohio river basins.

Cape Lookout National Seashore protects a 56-mile stretch of islands on the North Carolina coast as part of the Southern Outer Banks. The Cape Lookout lighthouse and two historic villages show the lives of people who made their living on the edge of the sea.

It also is under the Archeological Resource Protection Act (ARPA) that only allows visitors to remove unoccupied seashells, pinecones, and driftwood from the stretch of island. Anything else must stay so it can be preserved and a part of history, Cape Lookout said.