Ear Plug...Never imagined another one would be found!

[BJH62]

Hello all-

Haven't posted in a while but I felt I needed to share this...10 years after my niece found an ear plug (see original post here: http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/n...cts/23308-ear-plug-anyone-ever-found-one.html) I was lucky enough to find one of my own today. Here are the pics. Note the tally marks. Cannot believe it! My niece (now 20) says she doesn't feel so special anymore. (Hers is on the left in the picture.)

Thanks for looking.

BJH

 

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[GaRebel1861]

Very cool find. Here's another banner vote coming your way. Good luck!

 

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[JJ1965]

Very cool. Banner vote cast.

 

[ShieldJaguar]

Banner vote in. Amazing that it wasn't broken! Congrats!

 

[Davers]

Another Banner Here, & I think this should make banner cause They are so Rare or ( unknown To most), I just saw the recent threads Title 'Ear Plugs' ; clicked to look .
I thought wow Civil War guy's Carved ear Plugs 'I suppose it was loud during battle' BUT then read Further & realized these were ancient compared to CW Age. A Find I won't soon forget.

I need to educate myself on Native American & Pre NA Pieces.
I don't have a good eye for them. ...At -least what can be found here in N GA.

 

[Davers]

Please forgive my ignorance.

Can you or someone tell me How they were used , ? What part goes in the ear , when were they used?
When the wife or Husband was Snoring to loud LOL

Got to go to the DR, but will check back later Thx
Davers

 

[DFW_THer]

meh, looks like a rock to me.

JOKING!

SO COOL!!!!

 

[DownNDirty]

Thanks everyone for the comments. The earplugs were found in the same plowed farm field but probably a 1/4-1/2 mile apart. The field sits on the Minnesota/North Dakota border.

Joshua--Thanks for the information. Any additional websites, books, etc. where I can find information is appreciated. (I've done a lot of looking but haven't found much.) We find a ton of pottery at this site. Most of the pottery we find is shell tempered and isn't decorated. I'm attaching some pics of the decorated pottery we find. View attachment 1358706 View attachment 1358704 View attachment 1358705 View attachment 1358707

BJH

Very nice pottery shards-thanks for sharing those.

 

[IAMZIM]

Congratz on Banner!

 

[Tnmountains]

I have never seen an ear plug made of pottery only shell here. Is that piece under or mixed in with the Buffalo culture of your area?
Congratulations an amazing find and real history in that item.

 

[BJH62]

Thanks everyone for the banner votes. I'm truly honored to have it up there. I don't know if I can answer all your questions and even if I can I can't guarantee the information is correct(hopefully Joshua or Grim will chime in to help out), but here goes:

The ear plug I found and the one my niece found are made of shell (have no idea what kind of shell). My understanding is the thin/long part would have gone through the ear lobe and the round end would have sat up against the ear lobe much like a modern ear ring. The hole in the end would have been used for attaching other items. Again, don't take this as truth but based on the limited research I've done. (Can't seem to find much.)

Tnmountains--Both of these were found in a plowed field. I find buffalo teeth, but no bones.

Thanks again everyone,

BJH

 

[CRUSADER]

Thanks everyone for the banner votes. I'm truly honored to have it up there. I don't know if I can answer all your questions and even if I can I can't guarantee the information is correct(hopefully Joshua or Grim will chime in to help out), but here goes:

The ear plug I found and the one my niece found are made of shell (have no idea what kind of shell). My understanding is the thin/long part would have gone through the ear lobe and the round end would have sat up against the ear lobe much like a modern ear ring. The hole in the end would have been used for attaching other items. Again, don't take this as truth but based on the limited research I've done. (Can't seem to find much.)

Tnmountains--Both of these were found in a plowed field. I find buffalo teeth, but no bones.

Thanks again everyone,

BJH

Ok thanks for that.
I would guess that if they either hung something throw the hole it would act as the backstop or safety mechanism to keep it from falling out easily.

 

[catherine1]

Nice shell ear plugs brother.......real deal right there. Those tally marks are killer.

 

[Tnmountains]

We see them like Grim said in the Hopewell and mound cultures during Mississippi times here in the South East. They are also present in south America earlier as spools and plugs like yours. Early Native history is pretty cool how technology and ideas traveled from one culture to another. Early Americans or Colonials would not have survived if the natives did not teach them how to grow and harvest food especially the three sisters. Corn,beans and squash.
We like the early history here... all what, 16,000 years of it ?
Congratulations your peers voted it up pretty quick.

 

[villagenut]

great find, and glad you held on to the other one all these years...now you have a collection of them.

 

[Isaac]

Incredible find, thanks for posting and referring back to the old thread.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Glad to see this finally made it to the Banner. It definitely deserves to be there.

As for use, you are correct that they were put through the ears and the hole was more than likely used to hand feathers or other items from.

 

[MObushwhacker]

Found two in my lifetime Last one was in 1984 all made from a white clay or stone? My understanding is they were not inserted into the ear canal but the stem were inserted into a pierce earlobe. Much like you might see some of the kids wear today and likely the drilled hole in yours held something to keep them from falling out..

 

[CRUSADER]

Found two in my lifetime Last one was in 1984 all made from a white clay or stone? My understanding is they were not inserted into the ear canal but the stem were inserted into a pierce earlobe. Much like you might see some of the kids wear today and likely the drilled hole in yours held something to keep them from falling out..

That's what I guessed, but who ever named them 'plugs' gave them a misleading name. Although I suppose they plugged a hole, as opposed to hung like most modern ones.

 

[Davers]

Just now got back on line .
Thanks To the OP & Everyone else for the info.
Crusader is right "a misleading Name" but Whatever the name It/ They are some beautiful early pieces.

I live not far 25 miles from some "Indian Mounds" 'The Etowah Indian Mounds ' went there when I was 13 but now Really want to go Visit there again. Now I more hungry for knowledge than I was at 13.
Glad to see It on the Banner Scroll .
Davers

 

[Trezurehunter]

Those are a couple of great finds.