out of the ordinary find today, Lake Travis, Tx (06-06-09)

[abarnard]

Here is a pic of some sort of grinder or leather smoothing stone, ? that I found on a cliff overlooking Lake Travis. I walked down this huge sloping limestone embankment, and sitting upright was this out of place booger . I was overlooking the lake in an area about 1 mile from the lake. The area I was in was all 100% limestone no other type of rock, until i found this hardstone artifact just sitting there. It's just like a mini pestle of some sort; every finger fits so perfectly comfortable it's amazing. If anyone has found one similar by all means share. It had areas of great patina from hand use. It looks to be chert, probably draged up from the lake area. Found a little chert debitage around, but nothing else was found. It was a beautiful hike, but seriously a little dangerous. This will be my last trip to this area, but at least I got something out of it all; just too steep to get good footing. Took a pic of the scenery to, enjoy... oh, just posted new pic of what could have been a grinding plate and grinding stone that I left as is in the area that i found this piece. Wish I had 3 hands and a descent pack, or I would have taken it along with. If it was what i thought it was it was pretty crude....

[Tnmountains]

Wow Abarnard The veiw is unbeleivable. Beautiful. It does look like a grinding rock.I wonder what they were grinding up there? Do you have the maps before the impoundment? I think I had read about them finding a site with bones on Travis not to long ago. Looks like you got your exercise also Nice post.
TnMtns

[abarnard]

Yep, some guy pulled his boat up on the bank along Lake travis and discovered right when he stepped ashore some ancient indian bones/remains, plus some tools/artifacts. The lake is really large, and there are lots of areas to look around, so i have some areas that I want to check later in the near future. Didn't they used to grind up cactus Maybe cactus then. It was a well used tool though, and I found it right side up like it was used then sat down and then forgotten. It was a really cool find b/c it was in a spot where it opened up and you could see the lake beautifully. I am going to search an area similar to the one I went to today, but the area doen't slope as much there. Maybe I can find another who knows... Thanks for the reply

[Tnmountains]

Thats cool. All our lakes and rivers have been impounded here by TVA. We use all the old original maps so we know we are on the ancient river or lake. They are also good when bass fishing,lol
Take care
TnMtns

[uniface]

The way the flakes are distributed, and with all that river polish blurring the edges of them, I suspect you've got a cobble that somebody liked. For what purpose, who knows ?

Whatever it was for, it sure didn't get way up there by itself.

[Th3rty7]

yeah, looks like a grinding stone with user finger / thumb polished grooves, maybe a mano or grinding bowl nearby. I found a similar piece the other day, has user polish, and sits flat on two sides. nice find.

[abarnard]

Actually did find what I thought was an actual grinding stone w/ a small crude looking flat dish looking stone made out of limestone on top of the cliff about 50 yards away where I found my piece. I had to make a long climb up, so I had to leave it b/c i was climbing and couldn't handle it and climb. Not sure if it was for real, or if a stone washed off the cliff and happened to land on the "plate", but the limestone "plate" or what ever you want to call it had a depression on it. Got the pics with the stone (limestone) on top of the "plate". You be the judge, but If it was anything it was crude at most.... Thanks for the replies you guys. If you have any pics of similar grinding artifacts that are smaller in nature please send so I can compare.... The grinding artifact that I found was cobble, but was obviously used for purposes of grinding seeds, etc. It was found at high elevations; for Texas at least. There's no cobble around for at least a mile or more from the area that I found it. No rivers where I was at, just limestone that was cut down from the water runoff to Lake Travis. Very old indeed

[abarnard]

Thirty 7, can you give me that pic when handy, thanks.. i am interested in hand tools

[SoIll]

Looks like a geofact to me.

[abarnard]

Yep, it probably was a geofact; the flat piece of limestone and the limestone rock on top that is..

[Monty]

I use to own some property that had an old Indian camp site on it. This was before I took up metal detecting darn it!.....Anyway, up on a bluff overlooking a creek was a huge flat sandstone. It had indentations worn into it where they use to grind their grain. I never did find the stones they used for grinding, but I didn't know to look for them at the time. I later found out that the Indians in the area had teeth worn almost to the gums from the abrasive particles of sandstone they chewed. I sold the land long ago at a prifit but would love to go back and check it out again. neat find. Monty

[The Grim Reaper]

Both stones look natural to me.

[Cannonman17]

Hate to be the one, or second one to say this rather, but that is a natural stone. Fingers don't wear grooves or dimples into rock, it's too hard. Grinding stones are typically also much larger and only smooth/smoother on one side.

[Th3rty7]

Hate to be the one, or second one to say this rather, but that is a natural stone. Fingers don't wear grooves or dimples into rock, it's too hard. Grinding stones are typically also much larger and only smooth/smoother on one side.

I didn't say " fingers wear grooves " I said finger polished grooves. I was talking about the polish in the grooves, the patina in the dimples is different than the rest of the stone. Also I've seen grinding stones with wear on more than one side, found a few personally. I've seen some small exhausted examples as well.

[Tnmountains]

Abarnard

I think what everyone is trying to say is that the stone looks natural. That's OK as they used many rocks that were already formed for them by nature. I mean if it already felt good in the hand why not turn it into say like a grinding stone. They can tumble when in water and the dimples will keep their natural patina .Many of their tools kept the natural patina it seems where the hand fits perfect sometimes. I guess it was comfortable. So its probably a natural stone. But was it used to grind with. Good chance it was and why you carried it home. After all it was far from the water source and looks to be a river cobble. I tried to find a grinding stone similar to yours but could not seem to find what I was looking for .Oh well here is one we call an Acorn style pestle.You can also see some dimples and natural patina left on the stone.
I say bring it home and let the study begin. Does not matter if it is a perfect example pecked out, it could still have been an ancient tool.

Hope this helped and keep hunting and posting it only gets better

[uniface]

The hassle is from conflicting definitions of what a "tool" is.

If something has to be deliberately modified for a particular use to be a "tool," then it's not one. But if a tool is anything used to do a job with, then it is one. Since somebody carried it up there with him and left it there, it had to be useful to him for something. Beyond that, who knows ?