Copper Artifact from California *Updated*

[DrJoePrime]

It was down about 8 inches deep in a huge lawn. This place is close to wetlands and an area used for the 1932 Olympics rowing competition (Long Beach, California).

I brought it home and began cleaning it with a stainless steel brush...BUT I stopped and gasped when I saw it had a design on the front. Hopefully I didn't do any real harm ...it was very corroded and I only removed the corrosion. I've stopped the cleaning.

My first thought was that it's a decorative item from the 1932 Olympics ... but the decoration looks to be hand made and my second thought is that it's a Native American artifact.

Now I actually do have quite a bit of knowledge of Mesoamerican artifacts but have never encountered a copper item. A Google search shows some Amerindian copper artifacts but mostly resembling animals.

ANY HELP or opinions are very gladly received.

This first photo shows the cleaned part in my hand.

Next is the closeup of the Design.

And in the final photo I've outlined (roughly) the design in my photo program.



Thanks for looking and HH, Joe

Update as of 10 July 2008,

I've sent photos to the chairman of Anthropology Department specializing in local Indian cultures and he could not identify as anything local. He said he's pass the photos I e-mailed him around to other specialties. To date I haven't received any replies. The apparent rust is actually only from contact in the soil with rusty object. The reverse side is slightly concave and fits very well with my thumb while holding it.

My speculation is that:

o the item is at least folk art and not manufactured

o It may relate to the 1932 Olympics and rowing somehow

o The "checkmark" LOGO seems unique and I'd like to I.D. that ... any ideas how?

o It appears to be more decorative than utilitarian

I'll be glad to post more photos and I'd like to get some opinions. (I'm pretty sure it's NOT a letter opener)

HH Joe

[DrJoePrime]

I found this a week ago and I've obsessed ever since.

I've researched this evening and it seems copper was used in pounded nugget form in the Lake Superior area and also Alaska. However there was trade with the Mesoamerican Indians. I've found reference to:

MEXICO, GUERRERO-MICHOACAN, Post-classic "Tarascan," c. 1250-1540 AD, "tajadera" hoe money, copper-arsenic alloy, ~200x65mm, highly curled rather than flat
which looks like this:

I get lazy and with a lot of corrosion the stainless works good. Of course if I knew (and IF it is) an Indian artifact I would for sure use a brass brush. Right now I'm afraid to touch it with ANYTHING.

I live close to CSU Long Beach and I may try to get an ID from the Archaeology Department. Right now (preliminary judgement) it seems it's not native to this area.

[thompy]

pretty cool what ever time frame it came from, ive read that copper artifacts have been found all over the us. i know some of the gold mines had ore silver copper and gold in them around marquette county, so it could be possible, but i think they would pick the purest copper, to avoid problems when it was worked, never seen carvings on copper like that.