Artifact ???

Mine Shaft

Hero Member
Apr 11, 2017
929
1,153
Fontana, California
Detector(s) used
NA
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
My uncle found this round rock on a camping trip in the eastern sierras around 1960, it dose not look natural to me. If its a Indian tool wonder what it was used for ? thanks for any info.
 

Attachments

  • 100_0083.JPG
    100_0083.JPG
    3.8 MB · Views: 104
  • 100_0084.JPG
    100_0084.JPG
    4.4 MB · Views: 73
  • 100_0085.JPG
    100_0085.JPG
    4.2 MB · Views: 96
  • 100_0086.JPG
    100_0086.JPG
    4.4 MB · Views: 97
Upvote 0

lairmo

Silver Member
Jan 1, 2009
2,952
4,890
SW MO
Detector(s) used
Garrett AT Pro/ Fisher M-Scope 1280-X
looks like ones I picked up in rivers and on beaches in the Washington/ Oregon area...?
 

welsbury

Bronze Member
Jan 25, 2010
1,192
1,948
Eastern oregon
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Could well be a mano. Cannot see the surface well enough to tell. Looks like a normal river rock but that is what they started with a lot of the time.
 

OP
OP
Mine Shaft

Mine Shaft

Hero Member
Apr 11, 2017
929
1,153
Fontana, California
Detector(s) used
NA
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Whats a mano lol, the privet ranch where he camped is at 7500ft there is a creek down below.
 

welsbury

Bronze Member
Jan 25, 2010
1,192
1,948
Eastern oregon
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
It is a stone they used with a metate, which is like a flat platter like stone. They would grind up seeds and such with them. You would rub the mano on the metate with the seed in between. After some use you can see the smoothed rub marks on the face of the stone.
 

quito

Silver Member
Mar 31, 2008
4,626
4,841
south dakota
Detector(s) used
good eyes
If I had found it on one of the sites I hunt, it would be coming home with me. We don't find natural rocks like that up here.
 

dognose

Silver Member
Apr 15, 2009
3,011
8,092
Indiana
Detector(s) used
Fisher F70
I agree it could be a mano.

It may also be a game stone such as a discoidal, may be a biscuit discoidal. discoidals come in many sizes and shapes, from small to large.

If you don't already have a loupe, get a good one with a light and look at the surface under magnification. You should see evidence of it being worked into shape if its not natural.

Here are some examples of discoidals. Note this example from California
 

sandchip

Silver Member
Oct 29, 2010
4,351
6,871
Georgia
Detector(s) used
Teknetics T2SE
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
I agree also with mano or discoidal. I'd dang sure take it home.
 

OP
OP
Mine Shaft

Mine Shaft

Hero Member
Apr 11, 2017
929
1,153
Fontana, California
Detector(s) used
NA
Primary Interest:
Prospecting
Thanks you guys for the input, i know a little about Indian artifacts i just could not find this in my books.
 

Attachments

  • 100_0088 (1).JPG
    100_0088 (1).JPG
    3.7 MB · Views: 83

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top