Bolo Stone

[fyrffytr1]

I eyeballed this thing today while metal detecting. I didn't think anything of it at first, but when I showed it to my hunting buddy he said it was a bolo stone. From what my other hunting buddy told me this may be a rare find.

 

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[Older The Better]

Not familiar with that, is it like a chunkey stone or a discoidal?

 

[fyrffytr1]

No. There were two of them tied into the ends of a leather strap. Used to throw at quarry like birds.

Bolo stone


BOLO / EGG STONE
Name: Most examples of bolo stones are about the size and shape of a chicken egg, giving them the common name “Egg Stone.”The Bola name suggests their use as a weight used at either end of a thong, thrown to snare birds (Milanich 1994:51).

 

[dognose]

could be a hammer stone.

 

[fyrffytr1]

could be a hammer stone.

Thanks for your reply. There is no pecking on it to suggest use as a hammer stone. Also, it is the size of a chicken egg. Everyone that has seen it in person say it is a Bola stone.

 

[GaRebel1861]

Those are few and far between in Southwest Georgia. No doubt what that is. I’ve only seen a few whole ones.

 

[sandchip]

A lot of theories as to their use, but as far as I know there is no definitive evidence to support any of them. In addition to their use as bola stones, there are game pieces, fertility ritual stones(egg shape), "night stick" or club head. If there has been any archaeological finds that prove how they were used, I'd love to see it. The bola stone and club head theories? It just doesn't make sense to put that kind of time into something that most any smooth river rock would serve just as well, but that's just my practical opinion.

By the way, fyrffytr1, great find!

 

[Relicgrubber]

Not a bolo stone, its a Concretion imo...

 

[Tesorodeoro]

What was the context in which it was found? I see an odd worn area on one end. Does it look ground off like it does in the pictures or could that be caused by pecking? Is there another similar flat face on the opposite end?

 

[fyrffytr1]

View attachment 2076834 What was the context in which it was found? I see an odd worn area on one end. Does it look ground off like it does in the pictures or could that be caused by pecking? Is there another similar flat face on the opposite end?

It is a flat spot but I can't tell if it has been ground off or pecked. My buddy, who has better eyes, says it is pecked. The flat spot is only on one end.

 

[CreekSide]

Looks like a Egg Stone to me. I would assume it was ground off.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

It is a flat spot but I can't tell if it has been ground off or pecked. My buddy, who has better eyes, says it is pecked. The flat spot is only on one end.

One of those ones that will forever go into the “who knows” box unless there was strong context. I’ve got one that’s very round..a handy size, with a flat face ground off the end. The context was only that it was found adjacent to a gravel road and there were lots of similar shaped stones laying around without the flat ground face. I figure the road grader bladed it off after years of grading.

 

[fyrffytr1]

I found mine in a plowed field that is devoid of rocks of any kind, size or shape. It is sandy soil and other native American relics have been found here.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

A lot of theories as to their use, but as far as I know there is no definitive evidence to support any of them. In addition to their use as bola stones, there are game pieces, fertility ritual stones(egg shape), "night stick" or club head. If there has been any archaeological finds that prove how they were used, I'd love to see it. The bola stone and club head theories? It just doesn't make sense to put that kind of time into something that most any smooth river rock would serve just as well, but that's just my practical opinion.

By the way, fyrffytr1, great find!

What type of time or effort would have been put into this stone? Looks like it may have only been altered on one face.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

Looks like a Egg Stone to me. I would assume it was ground off.

https://peachstatearchaeologicalsociety.org/index.php/9-hardstone/132-bolo-stone

Sure looks similar to photo #1 except that one clearly looks pecked and slightly dimpled. Not sure it also couldn’t be a hammer stone. That was my first thought. It could also just have been hit by a farm implement too.

 

[fyrffytr1]

One other thing I forgot to add. This material is not native to the area it was found in. I have been told it may be mud stone or clay stone. As I have already stated there are no rocks of any kind, shape or size in this field of several hundred acres.
I do appreciate all the replies and I wish each one of you could hold this stone. Maybe it would help clear up its identity.

 

[Tesorodeoro]

One other thing I forgot to add. This material is not native to the area it was found in. I have been told it may be mud stone or clay stone. As I have already stated there are no rocks of any kind, shape or size in this field of several hundred acres.
I do appreciate all the replies and I wish each one of you could hold this stone. Maybe it would help clear up its identity.

Per that link I provided..

”Their use, whatever it was, required hardness more than exact shape as demonstrated by an apparently broken and mended stone (figure 5).”

 

[dougachim]

not bolo stones.

 

[dognose]

What state was this found, and in what context? Was it in a field, a creek, what exactly?

You show this object weighs 5 ounces. What are the dimensions?

In my view #5 on the Peach States page is a cone.

It's possible that this is an unknown tool or object of the Native American and an historic use for such a shaped object has been placed upon it for no other reason than we really don't know what its use was and have a human need to attempt to label a use to it.

It would not be the only object that we really have no clue what such a relic/object was actually used for,

 

[sandchip]

What type of time or effort would have been put into this stone? Looks like it may have only been altered on one face.

There is as wide a range of workmanship on eggstones as there is with most any type of artifact. Here are mine, which I hope shows how much they can vary. I use the term eggstone, which is derived from its shape rather than bola stone which implies its use, something yet to be proven. Hope this helps.