What is it? Things with holes!

[oberkill]

Since we seem to have some very knowledgeable people here on Indian artifacts I have a few things that may or may not be anything. I have gotten conflicting opinions and I am not sure myself. Some days I think they are and others not so much.... If they are not anything I am not going to be all hurt so dont worry about being too kind!

All of these finds were in Missouri about 50 miles west of St. Louis.

The first item I found in a creek bed were there was allot of Indian sites within a close proximity. This was actually found right with the broken point in a bank. (I am posting the broken point just so in case it helps) Its very hard to get a good pic of this one. The stone is not normal in the creek but it seems like it could have been natural. Its about 1.5 inches long and 3/4 of an inch wide.

The second item with a hole was found on the same creek but about a mile away. It was directly across from a site where I find tons of chips and have found a spade and a couple of "hafted scrappers". In this same bank I found allot of other artifacts that are valid but not sure on this one. The main thing I have with it is what would it be? Its made out of a soft stone but has a piece of chert in it right on the edge of the hole. Its about 3 inches long, 2 inches wide and is concave on the bottom side.

Thanks for any help!
Alan

[badandy]

Ober,
Hey bud, I'm sorry, but they all look like geofacts to me. I could be wrong, maybe someone else will help us out.
badandy

[Atlantis0077]

Morning Alan,


If I were to quote cannonman, "a rock with a hole in it" ....LOL

Honestly, I agree with Andy...those appear to be geologic happenstance. There doesn't appear to be any smoothness about the holes and they don't appear to have ever been worn on a string or polished in any way, either rock or hole. Normally beads, at least the ones found here, are pretty precisely made. In that I mean they put a great deal of time into polishing and drilling them. So they are more obviously man made.

Don't be discouraged though, you will find a bunch of that sort of thing before you find a real bead or charm. Its out there just waiting to be found. A friend here found a catlinite bead about an inch in length in a site here. I wish I knew the age, but the site is totally unstratified in that you find later caddo stuff as well as paleo/archaic points. The fascinating thing is this, we are in Louisiana....its quite a distance to a source of catlinite. Some trade network they had then!

Keep at it and post what you find. Treasure is out there.

Atlantis

[oberkill]

Like I said its no problem. I have plenty of stuff from the area that is good just a few that were not so clear. I have a box of stuff that is either so broken there's barely any point in keeping it or I wasnt sure on. The one thing I forgot to mention is the second item's hole is not natural you can see the marks in it where it was drilled out and there is some wear on the bottom edge. Still doesnt mean much as it of just as easily been someone in the last 10 years that did it! lol I will post some of my other finds from the same area tonight and see what you guys think. Its a wierd collection of items. Since its a creek its hard to say where they all came from though.

Alan

[Cannonman17]

Yeah Atlantis- I'm going with the rock with a hole theory again- I always wonder about how many geofacts the natives found and kept though... Normally artifacts that have drilled holes are drilled from both sides and meet somewhere in the middle. A lot of times when I'm out hunting I'll find similar stuff and toss it in my pocket, even just interesting rocks and what not. Then at the end of the day I go through it all and clean the dirt off.. often surprised to find a broken point, scraper, etc. that I didn't notice right away.

[oberkill]

Thanks guys info is prety much what I expected. I am fairly sure I am not the only collector with a box of maybe's. lol or wish they were's is probably a better name. I keep all my real broken stuff there as well. I should just leave the broken stuff but I can bring myself to do it!

Alan