Round Rocks with holes ?

[Tnmountains]

Hi
A friend found these rocks in Tellico Tennessee on the Tellico river. What do you all think might have caused them to be shaped as such. They are not real hard and slightly porous similar to sandstone or mountain stone in weight and texture. She appreciates any help you experts might provide.
Thank you and..click the pic for enlargement.
HH
TnMtns

 

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[rock]

Do the holes go all the way through them?

 

[Tnmountains]

Do the holes go all the way through them?

Rock. Some do and kinda look like beads. But not all of them. Tellico is a fast moving river and I was wondering if they might have been tumbled and formed?
A girl I know brought them to a cook out for me to see. Geo fact I am sure but what type of anomaly is this? Weird huh?

 

[unclemac]

similar to glendonite concretions....something was in the hole that is no longer there. The rock formed around whatever was in the hole which is why it is in the center of the rock.

 

[Tnmountains]

similar to glendonite concretions....something was in the hole that is no longer there. The rock formed around whatever was in the hole which is why it is in the center of the rock.

Ok I am such a dummy on this stuff. It that the same thing as an ichnofossil ( Fossil of a fossil)? No all have holes though.

 

[unclemac]

no not an ichnofossil....mind you I don't really know what yours are however they seem to me to be a couple of different things....first of all notice that the hole is always in the center of a round object. I am guessing the stone is some sort of sedimentary rock (like mud-stone). The hole is not man made so something or some natural process made it. Could be some worm casting but I don't think so. Probably made when, or something was present to make the hole, when the mud-stone was laid down. The "something" then weathered away by some process leaving a blank hole. It goes all the way through (the hole) because later the stones weathered into pieces...think of something like this....

 

[StoneWhisper]

I persoanlly like the idea that they could be native American hand made beads (jewelry)

 

[Tnmountains]

Me to but that is a 5 gallon bucket they are in, I was hoping fossis might stop by. : (

 

[Harry Pristis]

Could these be low-fired clay cooking stones? The wet clay balls could have been air-dried on twigs before firing leaving the perforations and punctations in the dried clay. The suspension on a twig would keep the wet clay from picking up ground debris and give them maximum air exposure. Cooking stones are found in a wide variety of shapes over a vast geographic area.

 

[Thommy]

Very simple: Fish net weights. A common find in the Mississippi Valley region/Southeastern US

 

[mrmackin]

Very simple: Fish net weights. A common find in the Mississippi Valley region/Southeastern US

Ding! Ding! Ding!

 

[Harry Pristis]

Very simple: Fish net weights. A common find in the Mississippi Valley region/Southeastern US

Maybe they are net weights, 'Thommy'. I don't have anything in my collection that I can call with certainty a net weight. Can you show us some images of your net weights?

Are your net weights of variable size overall with some holes that go all the way through and some only part way? Do the holes themselves vary greatly in diameter, some large, some small? Is the material not very hard, and porous, and of coarse texture?

 

[Tnmountains]

Could these be low-fired clay cooking stones? The wet clay balls could have been air-dried on twigs before firing leaving the perforations and punctations in the dried clay. The suspension on a twig would keep the wet clay from picking up ground debris and give them maximum air exposure. Cooking stones are found in a wide variety of shapes over a vast geographic area.

They are not pottery or clay. I am very familiar with the clay and pottery from this region. The texture is a sandstone and porous and a natural material. The shape is what baffles me. She found them in the river. I have not seen anything like it but it seems she found this bucket full in one trip. I am sure they were more so I rule out any archeology and this place floods and is very fast water with a limestone bottom. It is not far from Ocoee where the olympic white water was held. Cold trout waters.

 

[Tnmountains]

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Lol no I wish they were fish weights but I have weights from this area. Not saying they did not use them being a natural item. I will try to get some from here for some good close up. I took these at a party with an iPhone . Thanks everyone and will get a few more pictures.

 

[Harry Pristis]

Lol no I wish they were fish weights but I have weights from this area. Not saying they did not use them being a natural item. I will try to get some from here for some good close up. I took these at a party with an iPhone . Thanks everyone and will get a few more pictures.

More images would be good!

If these are not artifacts, then their origin must be geological or biological. I can think of no geological process that would produce these objects (but, geology is not an area of any special knowledge). Similarly, I can think of no biological process that would produce these things.

Perhaps it took a combination of biological AND geological processes to create these balls. Perhaps they represent fragments of in-filled invertebrate burrows which were exposed, then tumbled into these round shapes.

This last possibility reverses the more typical situation wherein the cast of the burrow is preserved as a solid mass. I am not sure how the perforations and punctations were preserved in the bucketful of balls.

 

[BullGooseLooney]

I found rocks (although made of different minerals) with similar round holes on the southeast coast of Florida. At first, I, too, thought the rocks might be native american fishing anchors or rocks used to create friction fires. But, I found far too many for these rocks to be man made.

I did some research and discovered that Piddock Clams burrow into rocks for shelter with the sharp edges of their shells. Although these clams are not native to my area, I would imagine other local mollusks evolved to have similar burrowing capabilities. Maybe mollusks on the Tellico River also have such capabilities . . . or maybe not--I'm certainly no expert.

 

[Tnmountains]

Welcome to the forum. I had forgotten about this thread. I know they have some mussels and periwinkles but that is all. The river is very cold and holds trout.

 

[curious kat]

....don't know....just love a mystery!

 

[sukuto]

pictures of a rock nickel size found in mcnairy county tennessee. anyone know what it is?

 

[HenryWaltonJonesJr]

pictures of a rock nickel size found in mcnairy county tennessee. anyone know what it is?

Should be in its own thread, but do a google search for Crinoid. Nickel sized would be a bigger one, but not unheard of.