not-nuttin

[naturegirl]

not-nuttin'

I've seen these stones with holes in them before, went back and forth on geofact/artifact. I got this picture of the culprit making the holes, so I thought I'd share. When I pulled the little pebble out, there was a little bit of sand in the hole to further the abrasion. Hope y'all have a good hunting day,

ng

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Re: not-nuttin'

I doubt the pebble and sand made the holes. To me it looks like a Nutting Stone.

 

[Neogeo]

Re: not-nuttin'

I hope ya took it home!Sure looks like a nutting stone to me.I have never found one but have seen lots of them.

 

[larson1951]

Re: not-nuttin'

what was a nutting stone used for?

 

[bravowhiskey]

Re: not-nuttin'

paleo bowling?

I could see that in a particular spot in the living room. Sweet

BW

 

[Neogeo]

Re: not-nuttin'

For cracking nuts...Place the not in the hole.(is should just barely stick out of the top.)Then whack it with a sorta flat on the bottom stone.It crackes the nut not just smash it..I think that is why so many are found with multiabe divits...IMO

 

[naturegirl]

Re: not-nuttin'

Seriously? I don't know anything about these, except what I've seen on here. I didn't bring this one home, but I can go get it in a heartbeat. The one I did bring home, from the same creek, had depressions on the narrow edges, so I thought, geofact. It's sandstone, and sandstone can do amazing things, so when I found this second one, with a pebble in it, I thought, ok, geofact. If it is, how do the depressions begin? A weak place in the stone? also, on the one I did bring home, the inside of some of the holes are bigger than the rim. I thought grinding nuts would cause the rim to be wider. The holes are the size of a dime. I can go get that thing off the creek in a heartbeat!

ng

 

[Neogeo]

Re: not-nuttin'

I would think that you were on the right track, with the sand and a pebble...When you are hungry and nothing but nuts to eat...You find the time to take a harder stone & make those holes.

 

[bravowhiskey]

Re: not-nuttin'

I can see where a stone could fall into the hole, in a high water situation, and then spin and tumble with sand and eventually wear away and "bell" the hole. However, the round rock did not start the hole. Could have been a geofact, but looks like, from the profusion of small similar holes, may not have been natural. Then again may have started as water erosion from dripping water back when the sandstone was being formed and maybe and could have been.....
Bottom line it looks very decorative to my tastes.
Anyones' call.
You have a nice place for hunting, and that close to the house. Great.

HH,
BW

 

[bravowhiskey]

Re: not-nuttin'

I would think that you were on the right track, with the sand and a pebble...When you are hungry and nothing but nuts to eat...You find the time to take a harder stone & make those holes.

Neogeo,
Eating nuts reminds me of a story, or better a life experience.I was talking with a girl while working one day, we were enjoying the shade under a big ole Pecan Tree. She bent down and picked up a few pecans and began cracking and eating them. Looked like a good idea, so I did the same. Mind you, she was cracking them with her bare hands. I put one in my hand and attempted to squeeze and crack it. I squeezed and then again harder, to no avail. I was thinking that little gal is cracking them pecans with ease, WTH My manhood was really being threatened. (sorry, a man thing) Then I realized she had 2 pecans in her hand and was leveraging them against each other. That is a day a little old Southern girl taught this old Yankee a thing or two.
Never will forget that one, and I know how to crack a pecan now.

BW

 

[Neogeo]

Re: not-nuttin'

Har thats a good one for sure...
I am from M.D. and went to visit my gram in mississippi..Well my cuz asked if I wanted to shoot his .22...Sure I said...He said meet me in the holler.....Aftwer he left I though WTH is a holler....I found him like an hour later,by followin the .22. shots...

I never told my cuz(Billiam..Yep Billiam,not william)They were allready pokein at me for being a Yank...

But now I concider myself a texan..

Yankee by birth,,TEXAS by choice..lol

 

[Bluesy]

Re: not-nuttin'

Very cool find, Naturegirl. You have a lot more willpower than I do - I drag it home and then decide. lol

 

[Tnmountains]

Re: not-nuttin'

Hi Nature Girl

Here is a Southern nutting stone found back in the hollers. It was used for hickory nuts collected in the fall at winter campsites. The mast in this area is hickorys walnuts and acorns. It was one of the few foods that they could gather and preserve. What mast producing trees do you have in your area? I can not imagine rushing water not washing out the pebble. The only thing that would point to a geo fact to me would be the impressions made so close to the edge of the stone.
Regards,
TnMtns

 

[oldgoat]

Re: not-nuttin'

Nice find, NG. I would definately go back and get it. As most of the folks have said, IMO it is a nuttin stone. There are collectors that would rather have the tools than the points...take it by a show and let some of the folks there have a look.

 

[naturegirl]

Re: not-nuttin'

I will go back and get it, but I'm not sure it's a tool, much as I wish it was. If you look at the one TN posted, the depressions are random, but wider at the opening. "wallered" out my husband said. Here is the one I did bring home, it will make a marble holder extraordinaire, but I am open minded about this. I need to find a suitable explanation for the depressions, water dripping does sound very plausible, just don't know enough to see the whole scenario. How long? how much force? Look at what water dripping in a cave does. Thanks for the interest.

ng

oh yeah, acorns are the dominant mast around here. Blackjacks. They are acorn sized holes....

 

[Tnmountains]

Re: not-nuttin'

ahhh seeing the last picture and where the holes are located would have to make it a geo fact marble holder for sure. Almost every nutting stone I have is cupped on both sides as well. Is the creek fed from a cave? I bet the guys in rocks or fossils would have a for sure answer.
Still a good find and the way we all learn. If you post it in the rock or fossil section please give us an update.
Later,

TnMtns

 

[pickaway]

Re: not-nuttin'

I'd say geofact also ive also heard small rocks make the holes but i cant remember where, there use to be a guy on here that had hundreds of them in his garden that were geofacts.

 

[geologyjohn]

Re: not-nuttin'

Its a geofact. Plenty of these in the surf along the Pacific Ocean beaches, and many other areas. A good holder for marbles. Take care, Geologyjohn

 

[naturegirl]

Re: not-nuttin'

Thanks geology john. Any idea how they are formed? And are the Pacific rocks sandstone? I think I will post on the rock hound thread, it's really got me curious.

ng

 

[geologyjohn]

Re: not-nuttin'

Hi Naturegirl. The holes (dissolution cavities) in the rock that you found are caused by chemical weathering of the rock over a long period of time. There are several forms of chemical weathering. The processes are different around here (Pacific Ocean) from where you live. I'd guess that the holes in carbonate rocks in your area are from rainwater and groundwater having small amounts of carbon dioxide picked up from the atmosphere. This creates weak carbonic acid that dissolves the carbonates rocks. I think that they sometimes call this weathering by dissolution. I've probably put a few people to sleep with this so I'll bag it here. Geologyjohn. PS, you all find some pretty colorful projectile points! In our neck of the woods, they are most commonly made of obsidian and are rarely anything but black. John in N.Cal.