Geological formation?

[coondog]

This thing has been in the family now for approximately 80 years, I'm told. It was plowed up in one of our cornfields back in the 1920's in upstate South Carolina.
The exterior texture is granular like sedimentary rock. The interior surface is more smooth, slightly glazed and exhibits a more uniform yellow brown color. It weighs about 9 pounds and is roughly 9 inches across and 4 inches thick at its widest points.
When you tap on it it "sings" like tapping on a ceramic coffee cup!

I am by no means an expert in these things but my best guess is that it is earth that once surrounded a tree root. The forest burned and the intense heat cooked it into a ceramic.
Does anybody have any theories as to what it may be?

 

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[watercolor]

That's an interesting piece!
If there are any caves/caverns in your area, it could be a broken-off part of a stalactite or stalagmite that was stained by iron oxide minerals .

Take care,
watercolor


Did I just say caves? . . . pirates?. . . lost cave treasure? Sounds like you might have a busy summer!

 

[coondog]

That's an interesting piece!
If there are any caves/caverns in your area, ......

No known natural caves within 60-70 miles.

Family members swear it was caused by a meteorite slamming into the dirt because the interior surfaces appear to have been exposed to more intense heat than the exterior. I don't understand their logic. They get bent out of shape with me when I suggest that it is some type of natural earthbased occurrence

I think it was caused by something less dramatic or spectacular. But hey, who am I to say?

 

[lamplighter36]

do some reading on the meteorite forum...lots of tests to perform. probably rule out a space rock.

looks like a piece of sandstone with heavy iron oxide content (the red color). i think SC is full of it...the red clay that is everywhere.

see what you think of this:

"Sandstone is a sedimentary rock commonly composed of quartz sand grains cemented together by silica, calcite, iron oxide, or other mineral substance, Depending upon the amount and character of the cementing agent, sandstones may be almost any color."

lets us know what you find out.

 

[coondog]

Take a look at the similarities in colors and textures of these two! Odd that Kansas would have something that appears so similar in composition as South Carolina.
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,35531.0.html

 

[MEinWV]

After reading your post, and the replies, and seeing the photos, my guess is that it was caused by a LIGHTNING STRIKE. It would probably have a similar effect as an intense fire, and would more readily explain the inside looking more "cooked" than the exterior. I have seen objects that are claimed as being the products of lightning strikes. They are gnarly looking "strings" of glass. The glass is actually melted sand caused by the heat of the strike. In the case of your object, it may have contained much more organic matter in the form of clay, which caused it to react more like a clay pot in a kiln. As for the outside looking like sandstone, the grains of sand would have been insulated by the clay.

What do you think?

..........HH

 

[coondog]

After reading your post, and the replies, and seeing the photos, my guess is that it was caused by a LIGHTNING STRIKE.

THAT, sounds like the most logical explanation I've heard!

 

[lamplighter36]

well, you certainly have an interesting piece. i did a real fast search on fulgurites and found what i expected....

http://www.minresco.com/fulgurites/polk.htm

...the gritty edges seem to match your rock somewhat, but in all the pics the energy seems to be dispaced longitudinally, in other words more like a canoli than a donut.

one of your pics shows sandy residue near the screw of the table....classic ironoxide sandstone. post this baby on the gems and crystal forum and get one of the professional geologists to weigh in on it.

on the other hand, might be just as well to leave it as a family curiosity.

can you describe the "ringing" sound it makes when tapped with a hammer? does dirt fly off? does it seem to be a metallic core sourounded by sand conglomerate? i would soak it in water and get all the sand off...it's NOT magnetic, right?

hmmmmm......

if a fulgurite, must have been one heck of a bolt to make that big hole!

 

[coondog]

can you describe the "ringing" sound it makes when tapped with a hammer?

No No! I didn't tap it with a hammer. Hold an ordinary ceramic coffee cup by it's handle and then thump the rim with your finger. When you thump the rock you get close to the same sound.