Attempting to identify a bone artifact

[tennesseeflint]

An image and description of the artifact in question are presented below.




Material: Bone (Note: This specimen is not flat. As presented in the image, the specimen is viewed from a convex reference frame)
Length: Approximately 5-6" between the tips of the two remaining 'fingers'
Surface Area: Large enough that it almost completely covers the hand of an adult
Other Details: The diameter of the drilled hole is ~.25-.125"
Imperfections: One of the 'fingers' was broken during antiquity (The revealed sub-layer/s of the bone have yellowed significantly)
Age: Archaic
Origin: Middle Tennessee

Have any of you seen anything similar to this? I have asked two state archaeologists and both have replied, with astonishment, that they have both never seen a comparable bone artifact--both were also uncertain with respect to its specific use (ceremonial, ornamental, etc.)

Regards ,

TennesseeFlint

 

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[Indian Steve]

I would think that it was used as a shaft straightener. To straighten an stick to use as an arrow, you grease the shaft at the bent spot, hold it over heat and when it easily bends, you bend it to where you think it is straight and hold it there until it cools. Then you look at it, find out you bent it to far and do it all over again. To use this tool, you would slide the shaft through the hole to just beside where you are trying to bend and use it as a lever. The hole could also be used to size the shaft. You slide the shaft into the hole until you hit a tight spot, use a scraper to scrape until it slides through and repeat. Very Cool Find. Are you sure it is bone and not antler?

 

[tennesseeflint]

Yes, I am sure the material is bone. It was either carved from a skull or a pelvis. I think it is the former, because of the symmetrical curvature. Also, I think that I over-estimated the upper-limit of the diameter of the hole.

Apologies for the length of this, but there is no other way to properly describe the place where I found this. Originally, I was taking a former girlfriend to a cave (she had never been inside one before) on my Grandfather's land. There is a large gully (the bed is, in some places, ~8-10' below the tops of the side-walls--it resembles a stream bed) that leads to the entrance of the cave. A second gully connects with the first and, at this location, a tree had recently fallen, due to a storm, and, during the process, its roots had severely altered a section of gully. Due to the tree falling, the rain, and the great amount of soil that was displaced, a 'pit'/'indention' was present (its greatest depth, relative to the top of the walls, was between 5-6'. I saw this artifact on the ground--along with a vast amount of shells and flint. When I was climbing down, I saw what looked like the tip of an arrowhead. It was not a single arrow-head, instead, it was a spear-head and there were six more stacked with it. The state archaeologist told me that the spear-heads were from the Archaic period and that I had found a cache of Benton points.

Since it is Archaic, it pre-dates the transition from spear to bow/arrow, does it not?

Apologies, it has been a long time since I last looked at it. Earlier today, I was thinking about it and I asked my father to send an image. None of the people that I have spoken with have been able to reach a consensus with respect to its purpose. At first, I thought that it was simply a pendant of sorts. After thinking about that, it seemed like it would be a rather annoying pendant due to its curvature. Anyway, I am still at a loss.

Thank you for your response.

 

[monsterrack]

Better photos from different angles would help, cool artifact

 

[tennesseeflint]

Better photos from different angles would help, cool artifact

Apologies about the quality of the image, it was originally meant for a friend that works in the field.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I think they are both Turtle Bones. The bottom spiked Bone is definitely part of a Turtle and a natural Bone. The other Bone also looks like a Turtle Bone. You can see the spiked Bone in the first picture and your other Bone in the second picture.

 

[tennesseeflint]

I think they are both Turtle Bones. The bottom spiked Bone is definitely part of a Turtle and a natural Bone. The other Bone also looks like a Turtle Bone. You can see the spiked Bone in the first picture and your other Bone in the second picture.

One of them is something different that my father found--he just has them under glass and they are overlapping due to the picture. I'll ask him to take a few more pictures and send them to you. I agree, the turtle bone looks similar at first glance, but, if you look at it from a different angle, and take into consideration that one of the 'fingers' is missing, and the convex/concave curvature, it appears to be something else.

The bone piece below that may well be though.

I will research whether or not that turtle bone is curved. Again, thank you for that, but they thought that it may be carved from a skull-cap as well due to its curvature. Imagine carving something similar to that, but cutting a slice from a melon's edge and using that as the material.

 

[Broken knee]

I agree Turtle Bones. Could you post pic's of the cache of Benton points? HH
BK

 

[Tnmountains]

Good I.D I am surprised the archeologist did not pick up on that. I was thinking maybe a cordage spool. I am sure many bones of the turtle that Grim Reaper showed were used by early man.
What area in Middle Tn? Nice area.

 

[Mark Todd]

I wouldn't be handing out any cigars yet on the turtle bone I.D. , I suppose it could be, but I doubt it, close but not quite "I think", but an excellent stab at it for sure! Of course I could be wrong but I think side views of the subject matter will rule it out, and the broken off leg of the three "tines " for lack of a better word, seems to be too long for the turtle bone pictured. However there are many different species of turtles: alligator snapper, sea turtles, large soft shells, etc.,maybe some have y bones longer before socket joint.
Regardless, this sounds like a banner find to me, would be great to see the rest of the catch! Amazing story.

 

[rock]

Welcome to the site. I have no knowledge of bone artifacts but will be interested in seeing what it is.

 

[Mark Todd]

Here's a picture of the same bone of a sea turtle that would span a human hand and is longer from the "y" to the joint.

 

[Mark Todd]

Whoops, the picture might be helpful...

 

[tennesseeflint]

Thanks everyone. I found that -20 miles north of Nashville, TN. I will ask my father to take a profile picture of it--they are away for another month or so though.

I can offer a description of this when viewed from the side. It was polished, obviously well made--it is still impressive without the missing piece. I did not exagerate the astonishment exhibited by my father's archaeologist friends when the held this piece--they have extensive experience with early, middle, late archaic sites and had never seen its like. If memory serves, the thickness of the bone is -1/8 inch.Assuming that both the missing third arm is of equal length and curvature and that, when standing upright, the linear distance between the tips is between 5-6 inches, then the flat center portion with the drilled hole would be elevated -2 inches above the plain. The degree of curvature seems to be too extreme for the pendant to be derived from a turtle bone--based upon my perception derived from images of bones from localy available species of turtle. I'm not saying that it is impossible, but the two state archaeologists both told me that they thought it was carved from the skull cap of something large (based upon the thickness, curvature, and volume of a theoretical slice taken from a sphere derived from similar dimensions.

I do apologize for not posting a better image--dad is old and smart phones are new; in his defense, I just wanted an image to compare with images available in books or on the net.

I agree, that the other pieces may be turtle bones, but, these two pieces are from different locations.

Again though, thanks to all of you for helping me to determine its origin and purpose. Please do not think that I am attempting to upshow this piece (I have unsuccesfuly attempted to deterime its origin/purpose since I was in high-school--20 years ago was when I found it) but even though it is broken, it truly is an oddity and quite beautiful.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I wouldn't be handing out any cigars yet on the turtle bone I.D. , I suppose it could be, but I doubt it, close but not quite "I think", but an excellent stab at it for sure! Of course I could be wrong but I think side views of the subject matter will rule it out, and the broken off leg of the three "tines " for lack of a better word, seems to be too long for the turtle bone pictured. However there are many different species of turtles: alligator snapper, sea turtles, large soft shells, etc.,maybe some have y bones longer before socket joint.
Regardless, this sounds like a banner find to me, would be great to see the rest of the catch! Amazing story.

The bottom Bone is for sure a Turtle Bone. The other I said LOOKS like one and that it does. Not 100% sure it is though. I was just throwing that out there from my experience finding lots of those type of Bones in the Middens we dug on Ft Ancient sites.

Here are two pieces of a Turtle used as Jewelry. The first three pictures is of a Turtle Leg Bone that has been drilled and polished and worn for a Pendant possibly. The last two pictures are a piece of Turtle Shell that has been cut, drilled, and polished. It looks to have been broken through the first hole and then redrilled so they could still wear it.

 

[Mark Todd]

The bottom Bone is for sure a Turtle Bone. The other I said LOOKS like one and that it does. Not 100% sure it is though. I was just throwing that out there from my experience finding lots of those type of Bones in the Middens we dug on Ft Ancient sites.

Here are two pieces of a Turtle used as Jewelry. The first three pictures is of a Turtle Leg Bone that has been drilled and polished and worn for a Pendant possibly. The last two pictures are a piece of Turtle Shell that has been cut, drilled, and polished. It looks to have been broken through the first hole and then redrilled so they could still wear it.

Hey "Grim" , I was replying to the post prior to mine, guess I should have "quoted" it, i.e. "Good I.D. I'm surprised the archeologist did not pick up on that".
The only thing in my reply that was relating to you (although indirectly)was a compliment, "excellent stab", because the turtle scapula bone looked like a good possible match, and still could be but no one knows yet. I was just stating that the verdict wasn't in yet, and that based on the O.P.s "written" description I was doubtful that the turtle bone was going to be the answer, and still am, but as I said "I could be wrong".
As for the plastron carving, it had nothing to do with the O.P.s inquiry or the Archeologists, and I made no reference to it. H.H.

 

[tennesseeflint]

Attached is an image, created with Photoshop, of what it would have looked like prior to being damaged. **Note: All three 'arms' should be curved and there are 2 degrees of curvature--d.o.c. 1 (short 'arm' A and B) and d.o.c. 2 (long arm)--so ignore the false symmetry implied by the Photoshop image** Apologies for the crudeness of the images that I have posted. I prepared this construct to better present the piece to the list of archaeologists that I've e-mailed over the past few days. In order to better imagine the curvature, I've attached the only other true image that I have.

View attachment 1222623

View attachment 1222624

 

[Mark Todd]

Attached is an image, created with Photoshop, of what it would have looked like prior to being damaged. **Note: All three 'arms' should be curved and there are 2 degrees of curvature--d.o.c. 1 (short 'arm' A and B) and d.o.c. 2 (long arm)--so ignore the false symmetry implied by the Photoshop image** Apologies for the crudeness of the images that I have posted. I prepared this construct to better present the piece to the list of archaeologists that I've e-mailed over the past few days. In order to better imagine the curvature, I've attached the only other true image that I have.

View attachment 1222623

View attachment 1222624

When I first found it, I thought it was prepared from a skull. This is the reason why I thought so and, later, the state archaeologists thought the same. Consider the tips of the two short arms being placed above the outer corners of eye-sockets and the long arms being placed at rest along the frontal skull bone. If you had this piece in hand and viewed if from its concave frame of reference, it looks like it was carved from strangely shaped bowl.

This is all conjecture born from the mind of a chemist--if it is 'archaeologically' ignorant, please forgive me: I can not help but think that it may have been used as a crafting/architectural tool. Simply using the angles between the arms (90, 135, 135) and the almost ideal 45/45/90 triangle, that can be projected from the center to the tips of the two short arms, allows for one to create a wide range of perfect geometric shapes. Inclusion of the third finger, combined with simple 90 degree rotation, greatly increases the range of geometric shapes. I think that the artificial hole may have been used to mount the artifact--following one complete 360 degree rotation about the z-axis, one now could prepare either a single perfect circle or simultaneously prepare 2 perfect circles; one could also vary the length of 'arms' and allow for variance in all shapes. Of course, one could also use this to bore a straight line through an existing construct. If they possessed the ability to craft twine, any small representation could easily be scaled (based upon small units cut from one of a pair of, for example, 1 m lengths of twine) from a central point.

I don't know if this was crafted by the people that occupied this site or if it was acquired via trade/theft/murder, but I do remember that, when I was a kid and found this, I wondered whether or not it was used to prepare the broken banner-stone that I found near it--limestone: slightly curved triangular faces, three sided shaft, a row of either 2 or 3 lines carved perpendicular to the bore near one end of the column.

Other than the plumb weights, and obviously drills, that I have seen on the internet, do any of you know of any other artifacts used specifically for architecture and/or complex crafting?

Regards and thanks for any input.

Am I the only one that can't get either one of these pictures to open

 

[Tnmountains]

I wouldn't be handing out any cigars yet on the turtle bone I.D. , I suppose it could be, but I doubt it, close but not quite "I think", but an excellent stab at it for sure! Of course I could be wrong but I think side views of the subject matter will rule it out, and the broken off leg of the three "tines " for lack of a better word, seems to be too long for the turtle bone pictured. However there are many different species of turtles: alligator snapper, sea turtles, large soft shells, etc.,maybe some have y bones longer before socket joint.
Regardless, this sounds like a banner find to me, would be great to see the rest of the catch! Amazing story.

It may not be a turtle bone but you would think the archeologist might see the resemblance as well. You say it is a "banner" find what was your I.D?

 

[Mark Todd]

Yes, I here you, but how many times have you looked at a picture of an artifact or a rock that looked like something or nothing only to have your mind changed after seeing better pictures from different angles, I can't answer for you, but for me I'd say "quite a few". I've cooned (hand caught), cleaned,and ate a lot of snappers and I don't think that bone could fit the written description. Sure the archeologists could have missed a plausible source, "or" holding the bone artifact in their hand they may have been able to tell that it couldn't possibly have been from that source. Based on what I can see in the first picture and the written description I'm thinking the latter. But hey! That's just my opinion.
As for my statement:"sounds like a "banner" find to me",I was referring to a middle Archaic Benton phase cache of six blades and an unknown bone artifact. Obviously it doesn't meat t-net requirements for other reasons (found 20years ago, we now know, missing pictures etc.), but for rarity and significants, absolutely in my book. Another Benton component cache just northeast of the Benton phase epicenter southwest of Nashville on northern Mississippi/Alabama border, not to mention the Enswoth school site excavated in 2003, yes I definitely thought banner.