Any ideas on this worked piece of stone?

[Th3rty7]

I bought this piece which was included in a collection from southern West Virginia. There's evidence of pecking, polishing, and it's drilled in 5 different areas, none of these holes are drilled completely through to the opposing sides, almost like they were practicing. The material is a somewhat coarse, hematite colored stone.

 

[Th3rty7]

here's a pic of some of the drilled holes.

 

[WhiteCountyPaleo]

Yeah that's weird...I wonder. I see
a place for it to be a nutting stone.

 

[jamey]

wish i could help.it reminds me of some kind of floating bird,will it stand up with the holes up.maybe they displayed feathers in it.probally way off though...jamey oh the bird is called a loon saw one in bergoo w.virgina

 

[ohio]

Are you sure it is not fossilized bone?

 

[Th3rty7]

jamey, it doesn't stand level, if you place it on a flat surface it rocks back to the heavier end.


ohio, I do not think it's fossilized bone, I can see why you asked that. My best guess would be some type of igneous, coarse grained stone, possibly basalt, rhyolite, porphry ?...I'm really not sure.

 

[tomclark]

I can clearly see the trebecular pattern indicating bone. Fossilized body of a vertebra with the pedicles and looks like maybe the attachment for ribhead on one side. Therefore likely a thoracic vertebra. Holes could be normal blood vessel holes..... boom.

 

[Th3rty7]

couple of better pics of the drilled? holes.

 

[tomclark]

blood vessel holes. Maybe cleaned out by the person you bought it from.
It's a vertebral body.

 

[SouthernGirl]

very cool piece what ever it is!

 

[GL]

Looks like bone to me too.
Killer doodad!

 

[Th3rty7]

Tom, is it not possible that perhaps this ' fossilized bone ' was picked up by ancient man and worked on?

 

[tomclark]

Yes, of course it could have been utilized. Maybe for adornment or charm, doesn't seen to have a "use".
We find fossilized bone artifacts here and there in FL, found on sites. Places where you can collect fossils in the rivers are loaded with suspicious looking tumbled and smoothed pieces. Ancients also collected fossilized bone just like we do as we've found them (mostly manatee rib bone) within arch deposits.
the only thing that looks like human work might be the "knob", but overall the piece looks tumbled from river.

Why not try asking the WVa Fossil Club?
http://www.prehistoricplanet.com/wvfc/

Have you put it under a scope? If modified by man and not too far gone you should be able to see grinding striations and the holes should show a beveled rim