Gar scale?

[Older The Better]

Found this unusual “bone” in a midden in a small rock shelter, my best guess is a gar scale but most images don’t show that clear glossy coating found on this one. It’s about a half inch but I don’t currently have a pic with something for scale. Does anybody know what it is?





It was in a pretty dense layer of shells

 

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[joshuaream]

Assuming the size and thickness are right, it looks like a gar scale to me. If only there were a member who knew a lot about Gars, Gar fishing and Garscales?

 

[Older The Better]

Here’s a size photo

 

[Garscale]

Looks like a gar scale with the enamel eroding. Must be very old. If this was in a native site it was probably a hafted tool used to open shells.

 

[Older The Better]

Thanks for the confirmation. That’s cool it could be a tool I had hoped I was more than lunch, I’ve got three antler tips that look just like what overstreet calls points, I thought they might have been more for flaking.

To the best of my research it’s Cuesta hopewell and Pomona. So 2000 years old to 900 ish.

 

[Garscale]

Where you are from it would likely be a longnose gar scale. In east tx, natives used both longnose scales and the much larger alligator gar scales. Both were hafted and used for arrowheads and knives. They are super hard and extremely sharp. I have found many in my digs. I have some alligator gar scales nearly 3 inches long off 7 ft plus gar we caught.