Anybody seen something like this?

[Adena_man]

I found this in a tobacco field that was situated on a Ft. Ancient site. The site also produced a lot of Archaic points as well. The material looks to be hematite. It is a deep red and very smooth, almost slick to the touch. I have attached pics of the side, top, and bottom. I never found anything else like it in that field. I don't know if it was naturally this smooth and is just a rock or if it was intentionally polished for whatever reason. Any ideas?

Thanks for looking!

[downindixie]

It may just be a hammer stone! I do think that unusal stones were interesting to indians and kept by them just because of their interest.Certainly a keeper in any case.

[wildrider]

I always thought that's where they get KY agate.

I think it comes in different colors inside as well as outside, but I'm no rock expert.

[MEinWV]

It doesn't appear to be a tool, and it could be hematite, but it almost looks like it could be agate. I would find a local rockhound or club and see if you can get it cut in half. The red and black imperial agate is the rare bear in KY.

Let us know if you find out more!...............HH

[Abbey]

Is that the stone they'd grind and make paint from? I see a fair amount of it around here-- and have a couple points made of it.

[Adena_man]

Adna
I always considered it hematite...Is it heavy? My job as a little feller was to walk behind the plow and pick it up and throw it over the hill out of the tobacco patch...hard to say how many celts I tossed back in those days...BTW my grandfather always called it "kidney Stone" because of the color
Don

Hey Don! It is very heavy for it's size. I thought it was rather odd looking when I found it in the field, so I brought it home with me. Drives my wife nuts! I used to walk behind the tractor and throw out geodes. These things got to be the size of small basketballs in some cases! I wish I could find them again and cut them open. They have some of the prettiest crystals inside. Back then I was more interested in getting that little bit of money for each geode I threw out of the tobacco field.

Good luck!

Brian

[Adena_man]

It may just be a hammer stone! I do think that unusal stones were interesting to indians and kept by them just because of their interest.Certainly a keeper in any case.

Hey Downindixie!

It's definitely an odd rock! The smoothness is what got me. I also think that they indians would collect things that they thought were pretty or unusual just like we do. Pretty much human nature I guess.

Good luck!

Brian

[Adena_man]

I always thought that's where they get KY agate.

I think it comes in different colors inside as well as outside, but I'm no rock expert.

Hey Wildrider! This rock turns blood red in direct sunlight. Pretty neat. Thanks for posting!

Good luck!

[Adena_man]

It doesn't appear to be a tool, and it could be hematite, but it almost looks like it could be agate. I would find a local rockhound or club and see if you can get it cut in half. The red and black imperial agate is the rare bear in KY.

Let us know if you find out more!...............HH

Hey MEinWV! My dad works in oil and gas. He has a geologist friend that works with him. I think I'll get him to take it to the geologist and see what he says. I bet it would be very nice cut in half if it is agate. What part of WV are you from? I have a couple of relatives who live in Beckley.

Good luck!

[Adena_man]

Is that the stone they'd grind and make paint from? I see a fair amount of it around here-- and have a couple points made of it.

Hey Abbey! I was thinking that it was hematite, but others have said that it might be agate. I'm not sure which one it is. I'm going to have it checked out by a geologist.

Thanks for posting!

Good luck!

Brian

[Tricia]

Never seen red hematite before.

It's usually a silverygrey color.

[Adena_man]

Never seen red hematite before.

It's usually a silverygrey color.

Hi Tricia, I found this link on the web. It does describe the silver/gray color that you were speaking of, but also describes a red/brown "earth" color that is from the iron ore properties. I am going to get a geologist to look at it since I am curious as to what it is. Others have mentioned that it could be an agate. Hopefully the geologist can help.


http://www.galleries.com/minerals/ox...e/hematite.htm

Thanks for posting

[MEinWV]

I am in the northern panhandle. Beckley would be about 3 hrs. away.

Your area of KY is in and/or near the area where the agates there come from. The more I look at the rock, the more it looks like agate. Agate is also a little heavier for its size than most rocks because it is very dense. The rare imperial agate generally has a black core surrounded by a blood red band of color. This is then surrounded by a dull outer core (rind). In most cases, it is hard to tell what you will find inside the geodes until you slice them open.

Good luck! Keep any updates coming!........HH

[Adena_man]

I am in the northern panhandle. Beckley would be about 3 hrs. away.

Your area of KY is in and/or near the area where the agates there come from. The more I look at the rock, the more it looks like agate. Agate is also a little heavier for its size than most rocks because it is very dense. The rare imperial agate generally has a black core surrounded by a blood red band of color. This is then surrounded by a dull outer core (rind). In most cases, it is hard to tell what you will find inside the geodes until you slice them open.

Good luck! Keep any updates coming!........HH

Thanks for the info! I'd love to see what's inside of it.

[wildrider]

My geologist buddy says:

Hey, it looks like a chert nodule with a lot of iron in it (hematite aka rust).

Guess that shows what I know about rocks.

[MEinWV]

Please don't hit it with a hammer!

If it's something, you'll end up with nothing!

If it's nothing, you'll end up with less than nothing!

At least right now you get to hold the neat little orb and ponder!

......HH

[MEinWV]

My geologist buddy says:

Hey, it looks like a chert nodule with a lot of iron in it (hematite aka rust).

Guess that shows what I know about rocks.

Well, your buddy may be right on that. All of the Agates, Flints and Cherts are related! All are in the Quartz family.

Thanks!...........HH Can't wait to find out now!!

[Adena_man]

Hey everyone! I sent the pics up to the KY Geological Survey to see if they could tell me anything. I received a quick response that said the rock is an agate. They said that this rock is far from home. It did not originate in Jessamine County. They said that it came from KY, but not from the Bluegrass area. Makes you wonder if some indian picked it up somewhere and brought it here. Of course, we will never know. My brother-in-law has some diamond-studded saw blades. I might get him to saw it in half to see the inside of the rock. The guy at the geological survey suggested that I saw it in half as well. He said that KY agates are very pretty inside. From the pics I saw on their website, I definitely agree!

Thanks for all the posts and info! I'll post a few pics after the rock is cut in half.

Good luck!

[Chris in BC]

I am still leaning towards Jasper, has a similar waxy look and resembles Columbia river jasper that I have, will post a few pics - some worked, some natural. G/friend has my camera right now.

[Johnny X]

I have found some smaller rocks like that, but never that big.

xstevenx