Seen Anything Like This Before?

[Th3rty7]

A friend of mine brought this piece by last night, It's grooved and highly polished like some boatstones I've seen. If you turn it to profile view it looks somewhat close to some birdstones I've seen. The material is hematite like, but may not be. It's a unique piece and finely made, has anyone seen one like this? Got any ideas what it could have been used for?

 

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[uniface]

I don't know.

But if somebody tries to tell you it's a "geofact," I'm going to laugh out loud.

 

[RPG]

I don't know.

But if somebody tries to tell you it's a "geofact," I'm going to laugh out loud.

I almost did just that earlier.

I don't know thirty7, boatstone sounds good to me. In fact that's the first thing that came to mind even before I read your post.

 

[Tnmountains]

I cant figure it out. It seems unbalanced one side being larger than the other. Everything they did was about balance to some degree. On the inside the worked out area have you seen anything worked out like that before? I was wanting to say some type of unfinished necklace maybe. I do not know what it is was or becoming
Pretty cool

 

[Th3rty7]

I cant figure it out. It seems unbalanced one side being larger than the other. Everything they did was about balance to some degree. On the inside the worked out area have you seen anything worked out like that before? I was wanting to say some type of unfinished necklace maybe. I do not know what it is was or becoming
Pretty cool

I've seen the deep polished grooves on Boatstones. Some say they're atlatl weights, others say ceremonial or ritual objects. I just found this interesting page on one found with other objects still in the groove.

http://www.texasbeyondhistory.net/tejas/ancestors/images/jshort5.html

 

[Tnmountains]

I think you are going in the right direction with that link. I cant figure the rattles in it though as that goes against what I had always thought. Live and learn.

 

[Atlantis0077]

Afternoon,

Now that is a puzzle. Laugh if you like, but I am leaning toward geofact.....I would really call it one if I found it in Louisiana. The material appears from the photo to be some sort of Hematite. You find that stuff here in a myriad of shapes an sizes....some looks like it was molten and poured into odd shapes.

Normally it exhibits polish and in many cases has holes and depressions that appear man made but are not. Many such pieces also take on an effigy quality and look like various animals and such if you have a good imagination.

So far as what it looks like, it looks like some type of boatstone, but the odd shape would have made it difficult to have been used in such a fashion.

Since it was purchased you probably dont know the environment from which it was obtained...that would probably also have shed a little light on what it is. As I said, its a puzzle for sure. I guess you could call it what the archaeologists do when they haven't a clue....its a 'problematical.'

Atlantis

 

[unitas]

Just a rock-just my opinion.----Mother nature can be an artist too.

 

[RPG]

Just a rock-just my opinion.----Mother nature can be an artist too.

What gets me is the pic of the inside the groove. That's the part that looks geo.

 

[Th3rty7]

It's been worked by man, there's evidence of pecking, highly polished in areas, and it came off a site in southern WV.

 

[RPG]

It's been worked by man, there's evidence of pecking, highly polished in areas, and it came off a site in southern WV.

Maybe they took mother natures work and improved it. I too have found pieces that I think started out as geofacts but finished by man. Just a thought.

 

[ohioaxeman]

looks like a green bean... an old one.... lol

 

[The Grim Reaper]

It's an ancient incense burner. lol

 

[Tnmountains]

We are all teasing you but to me it looked like a phonecian vessel (boat) without the oars. See what happens when you want good advice

 

[Th3rty7]

I found this short video on boatstones in Ohio, there are some really cool animal effigy pieces. If you pause at the very beginning and check out the entire frame there are three or four boatstones that look very similar to this piece. One especially has the unsymmetrical sides and hollowed groove.

 

[pickaway]

Hey thats Brad & Martha in that vid.lol. If its hematite you should be able to clearly see signs of manufacture,basically little grinding lines, even if its polished as you say.I have hematite cones that are highly polished and you can clearly see signs of manufacture.Hope it turns out to be an artifact.

 

[Mooch]

Everyonce in a while we find a piece of hematite that is odd shaped that is the product of grinding out red ocher. Perino wrote a article several years ago that suggested that a lot of hematite artifacts were the product of making red ocher and they just used this process to create artifact over time. The piece you have might of been a piece that was carried for need of making red ocher. Just a thought, Mooch

 

[Adena_man]

That is cool! I would have to pick it up and keep it regardless of whether mother nature or man made it. I couldn't tell you one way or the other. I would say look at it closely and use your own judgement. You can tell a lot more "in hand" than you can from pictures. Cool find no matter what.

You could always send it my way...

Good luck!

 

[creek astronaut]

interesting piece 37?was it found in water?being in water and being tumbled could have given it that pecked and polished look,and gave it an odd shape.cool piece regardless.

 

[joshuaream]

Maybe it's a worked fossil? Google beaver tooth, and check out the images.