Cerimonial tool??? or What???? Louisiana

[Sir_Digs_Alot35]

I found this strange looking thing in the swamps of central Louisiana..........perfectly fits in your left hand .Actually has their hand prints melted into from body heat really cool!!!! Any Ideas you guys

[Cannonman17]

I'm not sure what ya got there- appears to be made of bone-? Either way body heat can't "melt" a handprint into bone or stone. It may be a bone scraper or tool of some sort but the fact that it was found in the middle of a swamp would lead me to believe that it is a geofact. (Just my opinions- don't anybody take offense)

[Atlantis0077]

Greetings Fellow Louisianian....


Central Louisiana...hummm I wont call you a "highland coona$$" Yep that is definitely bone. Cannonman is correct....body heat doesn't melt bone, nor does it normally have pitted or shaped areas in it....about the best you get from bone or antler tools is a nice polish and patina from use...some tapering on awls and holes purposely drilled on such things as atlatal handles.

Being found in a swamp, I would say its a left over from a long dead cow or deer. Animals, especially squirrels can shape the bones into some really unusual stuff...something about getting calcium. I find that sort of thing all the time up here in the north part of the state...some of it is quite old indeed, but unless found in association with a lot of other bone, shell, pottery or similar artifacts such as would be found in a midden I don't think its a solitary tool and bone tools are rare here due to the effect of humidity. You didn't say if you found it on top of the ground or buried.....if on top of the ground I would say with 90% certainly its not Indian.

Happy Hunting,

Atlantis

[Sir_Digs_Alot35]

its not a bone and I did find it in a very old and deep creek by by Sabine river. It chimes when ya ding it........looks like wood and has a mineralized eye on its side and does have smudged area on back that perfectly fits the left palm and the thumb wore smooth into the tip. Over time if you work with something or rub it long enough body heat and sweat will alter it.

[Atlantis0077]

Greetings,

I can see from those photos it is petrified wood. As for being a tool, I cannot be certain one way or the other. The Indians here did use quite a bit of petrified wood as it was plentiful...they even made points out of the better quality stone. Petrified palm wood is the best quality..agatized and easily worked.

FYI body heat and sweat have little impact on a piece.....abrasion from use in the case of pitted handstones is the causative factor in shaping of stones...if you use something the same way over a period of time it will become polished from use and you will actually be able to see where the palm or fingers would fit. Most petrified wood is more crumbly and chalky so doesn't lend itself well to polishing from use.

I have one shaped celt made from petrified wood and many hammerstones. Normally they exhibit more chipping and a more obvious blade or impact surface than your piece does. Still you may have a tool there, just cant be sure. Have you found any other relics near where you found this piece?

Atlantis

[Sir_Digs_Alot35]

Just a really sweet palmwood arrow head or spear head as it was pretty fat and heavy.......the ex ended up with that. As for anymore relics I never got a chance.......Im in New Mexico now but will go back someday. Thanx for the info atlantis your very knowledgeable.

[Atlantis0077]

Howdy,


Hate to hear you lost the palmwood spear. Those are nice and rather rare. Always fun to try and figure out what something is. Many times its easier to see what it isn't that what it actually is...if that makes sense.

Take care, and I hope you get a chance to come back and find some more stuff here. Toledo Bend Reservoir....North end of Sabine river in Louisiana is at record low levels....you can find Indian stuff everywhere in the dry lake bed now.....I am in hog heaven...lol

Happy Hunting

Atlantis

[Sir_Digs_Alot35]

Well I am in a very history rich area of Apachies and spanish expeditions so its definately time for me to cross over into the Metal detecting ranks.Alot of missing and hidden treasures around here..........well there goes the rest of my life.....lol

[Atlantis0077]

LOL...

I hear ya...so much treasure...so little time.

Atlantis

[Oroblanco]

Ditto on the petrified wood statement, looks like a "hit". Whether it was used for anything I would not venture a guess - but think petrified wood is "cool" especially if it has "knots" in it; but then I keep "pretty rocks" just because they are neat, and someday will have to build a 'pretty rock' cabinet - if I had found that I would definitely keep it, but to add to the rock collection, not as an artifact.
Oroblanco