Found a piece of an old ships rigging, but it looks and feels like it petrified.

[nac67]

This looks like a deadeye off of an old ship's rigging. The thing is it's heavy as a stone and as hard as a rock. Can a piece of wood petrify in hundreds of years? I thought it takes millions of years for wood to petrify. It was found beach combing in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

 

[Blak bart]

Possibly its lignum vitae. ?? Dead eyes were often made of this super hard and dense wood.

 

[nac67]

It sure feels like rock how can I tell the difference?

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

What are the dimensions?

All the deadeyes I have ever seen have three holes and deep groves. There do not appear to be grooves in your item. Though the outside groove looks right.

 

[smokeythecat]

Here's a semi relevant story. When I moved into my house 40 years ago, the creek bottom consisted of soft, greyish brown mud. I don't regularly check the creek's doings, but was shocked when I went down there a year or so ago. That same soft, greyish mud had hardened, while still under water, into almost rock. I had to use a rock hammer to smash it. I don't think it takes as long as some scientists would like to think. Was a real eye opener for me.

 

[Blak bart]

Hmmmm.....good question ? Maybe file some shavings and see if they burn ?? If it is a dead eye I might not want to do that though because it would be pretty old, and I wouldnt want to damage it. Iignum vitae is very hard almost like rock, and ships built in the carribean often used it for dead eyes and other ships fittings. It does look like half of a large dead eye to me but it could also be a piece of petrified wood that has been tumbled in the surf and just looks like a dead eye. Keep us posted. Very interesting. Nice find . Good luck.

 

[nac67]

What are the dimensions?

All the deadeyes I have ever seen have three holes and deep groves. There do not appear to be grooves in your item. Though the outside groove looks right.

I think it's a piece of a dead eye broken at the top of it where two of the holes were. It's around 10" wide and 3" or 4" thick. I didn't find it myself my sister found it so I took a couple of pics of it. I'm just really curious about it. It feels like its petrified wood and it definitely is man made but I'm pretty sure it takes millions of years to petrify wood.

 

[BIGSCOTT]

around Bryan Texas, the ground will petrify wood in just a few years.

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

I would like to share my find. Its hard as a rock and heavy. http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/95456-petrified-wood-underwater.html