What do you folks think the scratches on this rock are from?

**archer66** · Jul 18, 2009, 07:49 PM

This rock is probably 18 inches long by 12 inches wide by 4 inches deep. It is located in mature oak/hickory timber about 50 yards from a steep hillside pasture and about 15 yards from a creek. The scratches in the rock don't really form any kind of pattern that I can make out but I can't for the life of me figure out what they are from. The rock is the same material as the nutting stones I have been finding for what it's worth. Any ideas??

Chris

**jpitt1970** · Jul 18, 2009, 08:19 PM

looks natural to me, I have found stuff like that before...are the lines raised

**archer66** · Jul 18, 2009, 08:33 PM

The lines are not raised...they are scratched into the surface...you can catch your fingernail in some of them but most are pretty fine. My first thought was that they were made by friction with other rocks. I cant attribute it to farm implements because the stand of timber it is in is older than "modern" farm equipment and the spot really isn't a place I can imagine having ever been farmed with tillage equipment. Plus the scratches are too fine. I can buy the idea that they are caused by friction with other rocks but the straightness of the scratches and the fact that they are at all angles and are relatively unbroken kind of makes it hard for me to believe. I actually kind of think they are man made but if they are I can't make out any kind of recognizable symbol or picture....they're just a bunch of lines scratched intersecting at odd angles. Another thing...I've only found three pieces of rock made of this material...two were nutting stones pictured below and the other is this rock....

**Cannonman17** · Jul 18, 2009, 10:31 PM

the incised lines are just a slightly softer material that has weatherd faster than the host rock, all natural.

**RGINN** · Jul 18, 2009, 11:00 PM

Ogam writing. Plow marks. Tool sharpening marks. The usual suspects. Seriously, they look like a natural formation in the rock from the pic.

**Monty** · Jul 19, 2009, 11:12 AM

I found some rocks similar on land used as an Indian camp years a go. They used them for grinding maize, thus making the deep indentations over time. However the rocks were much larger and I didn't know what I was looking at at the time until someone told me later. I also was told that the indians who lived there had teeth worn down to the gums from the abrasive particles of sandstone in their crude flour. I think the lines were made from frost on the blue looking rocks. Monty

**SoIll** · Jul 19, 2009, 11:37 AM

It might be something. It looks like a hammerstone touching the topside of it and flint chips touching the bottom side.

**abarnard** · Jul 20, 2009, 09:02 AM

Abrassion stone would be my guess if anything. I found some good examples made out of sandstone in Southwest TX. They would use the stone as a tool sharpener. I can provide pics later. Nice find..