Anything?

[Mrtodd]

I cleaned out the inside and it's white
Does this help with I'd?

 

[highnam]

I see monkeys as well...seems like some carved relief on bone/horn

 

[Mrtodd]

That would be double cool.
I'm gonna take somewhere tomorrow to get looked at

 

[highnam]

Post the results....interesting piece

 

[Mrtodd]

Today
Museum liaison took pictures and said she'd get back to me

 

[highnam]

Curious to know if it was locally made or not. Good luck

 

[Mrtodd]

I never heard back from museum.

 

[Mrtodd]

And then I just get this email

He stated, "It doesn't look vertebrate (i.e., not a tooth or claw), but it could be a cast of some sort of invertebrate..... Could simply be some sort of inorganic, non-fossil specimen. " He might be able to provide a better identification if he is able to see it in person.

 

[trdking]

This is definitely carved IMO I also see monkeys with Arms. Very cool piece

 

[Mine Shaft]

Do you have a fine file ? if so take the edge of the file and lightly run it over the hollow end of it, if it dose not take a little material off and just slides over it that would tell you it was subject to high heat.

 

[old digger]

I don't have access to certain fossils, but could it be a claw to the giant ground sloth?

 

[Perico]

Crab Claw possibly.

 

[Mrtodd]

I will be trying to take it this week...my schedule will be freeing up!

 

[Jarl]

I'm gonna say...it's not a claw. I am fairly certain, but not as an expert, that it's a concretion with a shell that is heavily hematite laden. I find a lot of fragments and in some cases whole or partial concretions...called Indian paint pots around here...but the 'shells' can take on some strange shapes for whatever reasons. I read that hematite can be magnetic...all of the fragments that I have are, though not highly. If you dangle a neodymium magnet disc taped to a piece of string...you'll be able to detect slight magnetism that you wouldn't ordinarily be able to detect by using your fingers while holding the same magnet. Anyway, that might be a small indicator that what you have is(might be) hematite. The fine yellowish, orange-ish or brownish fine chalky mud inside...another indicator. It is reported that that is why they're called 'indian paint pots' because they used the colored mud for face/body paint. Your specimen is neat looking....and I'd certainly prize it among my collection.

 

[Jarl]

I'll show you one that I found(if you like) that I thought for a long time was some kind of 'dino toe'....I know now that is not what it was.

 

[Mrtodd]

Yes please! I did find it where I’ve found nastuff

 

[Jarl]

I was looking more into someone's suggestion of seeing a 'monkey' motif...I see it too, hard not to. I'm starting to think that this might actually be man made...I did a little more snooping on the net...maybe it's part of something like a 'Vienna bronze miniature' figurine. If you can tell if it's metal...I'd assume in that case that it was bronze. It wouldn't have to be metal, but still a possibility. The 'claw' part I am thinking is supposed to be a 'banana'. It makes sense.

 

[Mrtodd]

Of course I didn’t get to museum this week but next week for sure

 

[trfinder]

That sure looks like hematite to me. It's a real strange formation though.

I personally am going to say that I'm 99% sure that is not a fossil.

 

[Mrtodd]

Appt at Museum on Monday
Finally
I really don’t know what to do or say...
People always recommend saying a piece is “a gift received long ago,”
When dealing with museums lol
Anyway, any advice would be appreciated lol
Maybe it’s just a tree root
We’ll see Monday