At the hand of man or not mano hill find

[tamrock]

Yesterday was cool, but sunny so I road the bike to a site near by. I found one jasper flake and this abrasive stone that has fluted wear on two sides. Most the rock of the area is rounded hardstone alluvium, not sedimentary such as this piece. To me it looks like unnatural wear. I'm open to your observations and my feeling won't be hurt if the overall consensus is I have only an interesting rock. If you think this was used in a way to grind and shape something, what might that function be? So far I've found two broken blade pieces and a very nice mano and jasper flakes at this sight. It's a very quiet place to go just outside of town and if anything enjoy the terrain of a high & dry desert grass lands and the company it provides. I do have a thin flat metate (both sides concave in the center of the stone) I found up in the mountains with I'd say has the same grainy fine abrasive characteristics as this stone does, but it's light-tan in color whereas this stone is more reddish.

 

[digging440yrs]

Great pics

 

[NCPeaches]

To me it looks like maybe a possible piece of a mortar or stone bowl but I could be wrong. Is that a fox or a wolf in your last pic, it's beautiful!

 

[tamrock]

To me it looks like maybe a possible piece of a mortar or stone bowl but I could be wrong. Is that a fox or a wolf in your last pic, it's beautiful!

Coyote. Many around here in the country and the city. Their fur is getting thicker in it's prime now and yes they do look a lot better at that time then in the hot summers when they look more like a mangy mut.

 

[monsterrack]

From the photo it looks like man used it for something , cool find and nice pics.

 

[willjo]

That small it could be part of the knapping kit, an abrader stone to dull edges before flaking them.

 

[tamrock]

That small it could be part of the knapping kit, an abrader stone to dull edges before flaking them.

Sure. It does have one deeper narrow groove on one side that I could see was caused by what you described.

 

[old digger]

Howdy! Your item looks like the right kind of hard sandstone that would have been used as an abrader, but I do not think it was used in this fashion.

 

[tamrock]

Howdy! Your item looks like the right kind of hard sandstone that would have been used as an abrader, but I do not think it was used in this fashion.


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I do think the stone was selected for it's abrasive properties and used to grind on something.

 

[rock]

Looks like stone. If it was pottery I would say a pot bottom.

 

[willjo]

Tamrock here is a soft Abrader stone that has almost the same wear pattern as yours and it was used to abrade points for knapping. Found today

 

[Trooper733]

I agree definitely man influenced for some use. nice find

 

[tamrock]

Willjo, I did google "abrader" images and saw a few examples that looked like yours and mine. They're described to have had a variety of functions and uses from shaping wooden shafts, stone axes and roughing up flint blade edges during the knapping process.

 

[Charl]

I believe the examples old digger is showing are shaft abraders. You'll find plenty using a google image search. That's an entirely different thing from the stone that looks like it was used to abrade that tamrock shows. They would both be types of abrading stones....

 

[Mark Todd]

Looks like it was used for multiple purposes and on both surfaces to me

 

[willjo]

Looks like it was used for multiple purposes and on both surfaces to me

The ones we find was used like we use sandpaper on all surfaces until it was used up to almost nothing.

 

[old digger]

Tamrock, I'm just saying that I have found a few similar pieces like your item, but did not associate them to be used as a tool. But of course I could be wrong.

 

[tamrock]

Tamrock, I'm just saying that I have found a few similar pieces like your item, but did not associate them to be used as a tool. But of course I could be wrong.

I looked at it the way of it being prehistoric industrial 'Scotch Brite'... The stone didn't really fit in with the majority of the geology of alluvium rock of the hilltop, plus the wear is kind of odd to be of natural means imo. I read where these type of artifacts were generally picked up and used for the need of the moment and then mostly tossed and never kept. Still, it is good evidence of the activity of the hill and location. Every distinguishable item I've found so far have been in one general area, but seems to have been washed down the side from the top of the hill. I can see from the hill top it would have a great vantage point looking over where two creeks meet at the terrain below and a nice breeze on top. I've looked over some other surrounding hills and haven't found a bit of evidence of activity. I'm just so happy to have found this area so close to home and not under private ownership. I may take a bike ride out again today for a look around as the weather is going to be nice. Tomorrow morn I'll be booking nonstop to Columbus, so I'll toss in with me the agatized dino rock. I'll keep you posted as I'm unsure of my total involvement up your way?. Weather going north is looking good from the reports and maybe a shower in your area next Tuesday. We'll see

 

[willjo]

If you look in any knappers tool kit today you will see stones shaped that way today. They won't be a natural rock though they will be broke grinding wheels and other grinding stones used to abrade pieces the knapper is working on. I have several in my knapping kit.