$20 rock or something else

[digi-shots]

I found this at a flea market a few months ago… was told it was some kind of “Indian weapon”… I don’t think so but the stone on the end had a nice polish to it. The wooden “handle” has some age and wear and it sure looks like a chair leg or rung Of a chair.

The stone has been drilled in the center and the rod going thru it is slightly tapered and looks hand carved at the point.
The handle end has been wedged in and I can’t seem to pull it apart… I’d really like to get the stone off and take a look at the center drilled hole.

There are some markings on the wood dowel/shaft… reminds me of a fire starter or drill. The shaft does spin nicely between your hands, but the handle on the end is a bit awkward.

Any idea what it is?

 

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[pepperj]

At first it looked like a ‘reflex hammer’ which had the name of being a ‘tomahawk’ hammer. (First ones invented)

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[newnan man]

I have no clue what it is but it is not Native American.

 

[tamrock]

Maybe a recreated primitive type drop spindle ??

 

[digi-shots]

Thanks.. I can’t imagine anyone putting this together.
Like I mentioned, I tried to pull the handle off so I could slide the stone, but it won’t budge and I didn’t want to damage it just in case it had an intended purpose.

 

[digi-shots]

Thought maybe a spindle or strap fire starter. Perhaps for re-enactment? But why put an old chair leg on one end.

 

[dognose]

I have never seen any relic like this, it is an interesting item.

 

[Tdog]

That configuration of a spindle-whorl would undoubtably be too unbalanced to perform IMO. It may be a concretion.

 

[Older The Better]

All I can say is I’m always reading something about native Americans and I’ve never seen any artifact like that, but I wouldn’t claim to know everything. That would certainly be a new hafting technique to me… unless you consider shell hoes

 

[digi-shots]

I thought about a hoe… but it’s not really thin enough or wide. One of the three side of the “triangle” has a bit of a slope or Upward curve.

Maybe a mace head?

The wood shaft is tapered and you can see some faint uneven whittling marks that made the taper. I thought the winter dry weather would make the wood dry out a bit so I could slide the stone up the shaft but it’s stuck where it is… it does spin a bit but won’t budge upward or downward. I may try putting it in the oven on warm to get the wood to contract.

The other end of the shaft is darkened.. looks like either tar/pitch residue or burn marks.

The wood parts are not brand new especially the “handle”… it can’t be more than 100 years old or so, if that. Could anything like this have been used in early 20th century southwest?

I’m thinking of dismantling it to take a peek at the drilled out center of the stone, but I don’t really want to break it apart.

Someone spent some time making this and putting it together… even if it is pretty crude looking.

 

[joshuaream]

Odd looking thing, but I don't see anything that looks ancient Native American.

The rock looks like a river cobble that has been drilled with a modern drill. The handle does look like part of a chair leg. The dowel looks like it has been whittled a bit with a knife, but doesn't look particularly old to me.

My guess would be that someone made a "war club" at some point out of what they had in the shop, and decided to drill a rock for club part. Boy Scout project, Cowboys and Indians fan, etc.

 

[digi-shots]

The more I look at the shaft it sure reminds me of a cue stick… The wood handle has the remnants of a square
shafted nail.

Bar stool leg + cue stick + rock = head thumper, attitude adjuster

Thanks for all the comments.. I may have to just add this to my brass knuckles collection!

(I do have some nice early stone tools - some I’ve found and some gifted to me.... I’ll have to post pics to make up for this “head thumper” post!)

 

[unclemac]

remember too.... wood is not a substance that lasts very long in artifacts too.