Are "Shaman stones" a real thing?

[IAMZIM]

Ok, I guess my rock that is most likely just a rock got moved out of here, so I just want to know everyone's thoughts on "Shaman stones". Do you think they are a legit artifact, why or why not? (I'm just trying to learn here!) If you happen to feel they are a thing, how do you determine it is what it is? FYI: My goal is not to start a heated debate! I just want some info from knowledgeable artifact hunters!

 

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[joshuaream]

Yes, there have been many shaman/medicine bundles collected and studied from historic plains groups, and they often included different pebbles. The issue is out of context, how you know what they are?

I have dug a lot of pottery over the years, hundreds of pots, and have frequently found polished rocks or shells inside that had to be placed there. Were they special? Perhaps. Were they artifacts? No, most of them show no human alteration.

 

[reuellis]

Does something have to be altered to be an artifact? Granted it makes identification a lot easier...

 

[quito]

Does something have to be altered to be an artifact? Granted it makes identification a lot easier...

IMHO, seeing a definite alteration usually can confirm an artifact being what it is.

Hammer stones, aren't intentionally altered, but are identified by the damage they incur turning other pieces into other artifacts.

Would an un-altered heavy stone that had been regularly used to hold the hide of a teepee to the ground be considered an artifact, you know the stones that are still seen on occasion making up a teepee ring? How about a stone fire ring? I know they still find those.

I don't think a stone HAS to be physically altered to be an artifact myself. First fire ring I dig up, will be coming home in the sequence it was found.

 

[joshuaream]

Does something have to be altered to be an artifact? Granted it makes identification a lot easier...

I agree what Quito states above.

A couple of common definitions of an artifact:

A usually simple object (such as a tool or ornament) showing human workmanship or modification as distinguished from a natural object.

An artifact (usually in American English) or artefact (British English) (from Latin phrase arte factum~ars skill + facere to make) is something made or given shape by man, such as a tool or a work of art, especially an object of archaeological interest.

 

[scepter1]

Rock piles exist in Puget Sound where the rocks were used as anchors for fish traps. The rocks themselves have not been modified by man.

 

[mn9000]

I used to work in northern ND a few years back & teepee rings & other various rock formations were all over the hilltops above the rivers ( purple pin is placed inside of what I assume is either a very large teepee ring or a ceremonial ring of some type. ).

In my opinion, a single stone from the teepee ring would qualify as an artifact only to the person who removed it. It would just be a large heavy stone to most anyone else I would assume. It's not for me to judge but I personally don't think I'd be comfortable removing an unaltered stone from something as unique as a teepee ring the first place though.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Does something have to be altered to be an artifact? Granted it makes identification a lot easier...

[FONT=&quot]For the purpose of our forum yes it means it was altered by a Native American in some way, shape or form.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]If there is no sign of man having modified or altered an object how do we know it was even touched by man[/FONT][FONT=&quot]? I have seen thousands upon thousands of rocks that fit my hand and or are in the shape of a point or object that were all simply made by mother nature.[/FONT]



[h=2]Definition of artifact Merriam-Webster[/h]

• 1a : a usually simple object (such as a tool or ornament) showing human workmanship or modification as distinguished from a natural object; especially : an object remaining from a particular period caves containing prehistoric artifactsb : something characteristic of or resulting from a particular human institution, period, trend, or individual
  Merriam-Webster
  
  
  

 

[redbeardrelics]

I agree with all the other members in the defining of an "artifact".
I also agree that many cults/cultures had special or favorite rocks & stones that they implied certain powers upon, none more so than the current western pop culture cult, (as clearly evidenced by the numerous posts on this forum over the years by people who have implied fictitious meanings to obviously common stones).
Most of us who have long searched for pre-historic stone artifacts, have at some time brought home stones that were not modified by human hands, but that were on a known pre-historic site, and for one reason or another seemed out of place, or were not placed there by geologic forces. These stones may have had special meaning to a pre-historic person, but in the modern collecting and researching tribes, they usually only have meaning or value to the person who finds them.

 

[IAMZIM]

I agree with all the other members in the defining of an "artifact".
I also agree that many cults/cultures had special or favorite rocks & stones that they implied certain powers upon, none more so than the current western pop culture cult, (as clearly evidenced by the numerous posts on this forum over the years by people who have implied fictitious meanings to obviously common stones).
Most of us who have long searched for pre-historic stone artifacts, have at some time brought home stones that were not modified by human hands, but that were on a known pre-historic site, and for one reason or another seemed out of place, or were not placed there by geologic forces. These stones may have had special meaning to a pre-historic person, but in the modern collecting and researching tribes, they usually only have meaning or value to the person who finds them.

This is what I feel about two stones I have found, I have found two of them, one a very familiar stone, but not from the area, and another stone I am not sure of the material, but to me it looks like banded slate, except with some red in it. Both are highly polished, more so than by stream action Imho. And that is why I picked them up. As far as signifigance toward being artifacts, I have no Idea, but I very strongly feel that they were carried to this particular spot and dropped, either purposefully or accidentally, so this is why I brought the subject up. My initial thought was that these particular stones I found were just really small pieces of material that ancient people used for artifacts, but not artifacts themselves, but I really don't know! I keep them with my points and scrapers, but if someone were to ask me about them, I would just say they were polished rocks I found in the same area, and that is probably all I would have to say about them. Thanks for all the insight from all of you that have posted! This helps me understand a few things a little better anyhow!

 

[unclemac]

consider this...a "shaman stone" found as part of a bundle is a lot different than a polished stone found on the ground or in a creek bed.

 

[IAMZIM]

consider this...a "shaman stone" found as part of a bundle is a lot different than a polished stone found on the ground or in a creek bed.

Don't get me wrong, I do not believe what I found are shaman stones, but I do believe they were carried to the location by man, not by nature, either a long time ago, or modern, I can't say. Are they artifacts? I can't call them that to be sure, but, I feel I can prove geologically that they did not come from the area. That's all I am saying! The one rock I posted got moved to the rock and minerals forum, which where I agree, is probably where it belongs.

 

[Charl]

I have found fossils at Native village sites, that, for many reasons, particular to the occurance of fossils here in Rhode Island, I know full well were transported by people to that site. Native Americans did collect fossils. Since I've been a fossil collector my whole life, finding a fossil I can be certain was collected by a native ages ago always strikes me as very cool....

 

[unclemac]

I have found fossils at Native village sites, that, for many reasons, particular to the occurance of fossils here in Rhode Island, I know full well were transported by people to that site. Native Americans did collect fossils. Since I've been a fossil collector my whole life, finding a fossil I can be certain was collected by a native ages ago always strikes me as very cool....

yep and in this example, context is everything.