Help Identify this stone tool found on the east end of Long Island, NY

[El_Inca]

This is obviously some kind of worked and seemingly well used tool. But for what?



Shallower ground side accommodates three fingers nicely. See third photo.




Can be held comfortably with great force like this.


Pinky finger seems to fit into a shallow depression on the back at around the 3.5" mark on ruler.


This indentation is quite smooth

 

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[Tdog]

It looks natural to me from your pics.

 

[El_Inca]

There two indentations are quite smooth - and I'd describe the deeper, curved part is polished - whereas the rest of the piece is coarse natural stone like any other stone in this area. This was in an upland location with no rivers anywhere near it. I'm trying to understand how this could have developed under "natural" processes.

 

[Tony in SC]

Welcome to Tnet. Looks natural. Fitting in the hand doesn't make it an artifact. Mother nature can play tricks on you!

 

[Charl]

There two indentations are quite smooth - and I'd describe the deeper, curved part is polished - whereas the rest of the piece is coarse natural stone like any other stone in this area. This was in an upland location with no rivers anywhere near it. I'm trying to understand how this could have developed under "natural" processes.

Every rock we find, with I guess some exceptions, was once a part of rock formations hundreds to thousands of feet thick. This would be the case with any of the three main rock types: igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary. Sedimentary formations may take millions of years to accumulate. Extrusive igneous rocks, like a lava flow, may accumulate in a very short time. But, with the question of how rocks that were once part of thick formations end up as the pebbles and cobbles we find lying on the ground, the answer is really always due to weathering plus time. When you come down to it. But actually describing that process of how a cobble ends up as a cobble through weathering processes would be virtually impossible to summarize every single step of the way in this venue, IMO. There are so many factors that could be involved, and acting over millions of years.

Familiarity with artifacts, until that familiarity becomes second nature, so that an experienced artifact hunter recognizes instantly when a rock is a rock, and an artifact is an artifact, really cannot be “taught” easily at all. This ability to distinguish rock from artifact is a function of experience in handling both rocks and artifacts. It is so tough to do in a “non-in person” format, where we cannot hand the rock back and forth, show genuine artifacts, and point out the pecking, the grinding, the flaking in the case of knapped artifacts, etc., all this is well nigh impossible to accomplish in a virtual context.

Unless there is some evidence of man made battering on your rock, which might suggest usage as a hammerstone, there is nothing visible in your rock that suggests it is anything more than a small natural cobble.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Sorry, nothing visible in pictures of rock shows it was worked on by man, don't get caught up in how a rock "fits in your hand", that is the marvel of the human hand, not a sign it was worked on by man.

 

[Charl]

It’s likely a glacial cobble, as eastern Long Island consists almost entirely of glacial till and end moraines....

 

[unclemac]

go out and pick up a few interesting fist sized rocks, turn them around in our hand and see how many you can "fit in your hand" ... you will find many with "finger indentations". The bottom line here is your own obvious question... "what was it used for". In the VAST majority of cases that answer is obvious. NA tools all had purpose that by and large we would recognize today. One other clue is the lack of use wear on your stone... no chips, pecks, dents from pounding.

 

[islamoradamark]

Welcome to treasurenet

 

[uniface]

In the VAST majority of cases that answer is obvious. NA tools all had purpose that by and large we would recognize today. One other clue is the lack of use wear on your stone... no chips, pecks, dents from pounding.

FWIW, I was reading a site report last night and found an artifact I didn't recognise in a group picture. Red slate, irregularly shaped, and with smooth, rounded edges. The caption identified it as (quote) a "slate polisher."

New one on this end.

 

[Shovelbum]

This is obviously some kind of worked and seemingly well used tool. But for what?


View attachment 1916041
Shallower ground side accommodates three fingers nicely. See third photo.

View attachment 1916042

View attachment 1916043
Can be held comfortably with great force like this.

View attachment 1916045
Pinky finger seems to fit into a shallow depression on the back at around the 3.5" mark on ruler.

View attachment 1916044
This indentation is quite smooth

View attachment 1916042

Yes, that is an artifact. I have found many just like that. It could have been used in many ways as an precusion Its shape is not natural but pecked and then sanded. I have noticed that when they are cold your fingerprints will appear for a few seconds then fade away. It’s some kind of interesting thermal property. It might be why they chose to use this kind of stone or maybe even helped in shaping them.

This is obviously some kind of worked and seemingly well used tool. But for what?


View attachment 1916041
Shallower ground side accommodates three fingers nicely. See third photo.

View attachment 1916042

View attachment 1916043
Can be held comfortably with great force like this.

View attachment 1916045
Pinky finger seems to fit into a shallow depression on the back at around the 3.5" mark on ruler.

View attachment 1916044
This indentation is quite smooth

View attachment 1916042

Yes, that is an artifact. I have found many of them. It could have been used as a percussion tool or an

This is obviously some kind of worked and seemingly well used tool. But for what?


View attachment 1916041
Shallower ground side accommodates three fingers nicely. See third photo.

View attachment 1916042

View attachment 1916043
Can be held comfortably with great force like this.

View attachment 1916045
Pinky finger seems to fit into a shallow depression on the back at around the 3.5" mark on ruler.

View attachment 1916044
This indentation is quite smooth

View attachment 1916042

Yes, that is an artifact. I have found many of them. It could have been used as a percussion tool or as an abrader. Many of the ones I have found have been made out of Basalt or quartz.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Yes, that is an artifact. I have found many just like that. It could have been used in many ways as an precusion Its shape is not natural but pecked and then sanded. I have noticed that when they are cold your fingerprints will appear for a few seconds then fade away. It’s some kind of interesting thermal property. It might be why they chose to use this kind of stone or maybe even helped in shaping them.

Yes, that is an artifact. I have found many of them. It could have been used as a percussion tool or an

Yes, that is an artifact. I have found many of them. It could have been used as a percussion tool or as an abrader. Many of the ones I have found have been made out of Basalt or quartz.

No it is not a tool, there are no signs in the pictures posted of ever being worked by man or used by man, with out signs of either or both it is just a rock.

 

[unclemac]

the statement that you have "found many just like that".... also makes it clear to most of us that this is not an artifact... as the rest of us have not.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Exactly what T_H said..

I downloaded the images posted by the OP, blew them up and also reprocessed with a number of different color filters in an effort to reveal any sign of use, or being formed by a tool.

IF that rock had been used as a percussion tool or any other use, there would be signs of wear. There is nary a scratch, and the rocks natural textured surface is consistent across the entire stone. It's never percussed anything.

Imagination is great thing, but this time observational science wins.

It's a cool rock..but still just a rock.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Exactly what T_H said.. View attachment 2098048

I downloaded the images posted by the OP, blew them up and also reprocessed with a number of different color filters in an effort to reveal any sign of use, or being formed by a tool.

IF that rock had been used as a percussion tool or any other use, there would be signs of wear. There is nary a scratch, and the rocks natural textured surface is consistent across the entire stone. It's never percussed anything.

Imagination is great thing, but this time observational science wins.

It's a cool rock..but still just a rock.

I did the same thing and could not find any signs of being worked or used.

 

[Shovelbum]

No it is not a tool, there are no signs in the pictures posted of ever being worked by man or used by man, with out signs of either or both it is just a rock.

you’re forgetting that rock has been tumbled by thousands of years in glacial till. The man made signs don’t need to be as detailed and sharp as found else where. I was just looking at a point that I recently found that is now smooth. However, you can still feel the percussion hits on it. They are just harder to see.

 

[Shovelbum]

All similar and man made

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

you’re forgetting that rock has been tumbled by thousands of years in glacial till. The man made signs don’t need to be as detailed and sharp as found else where. I was just looking at a point that I recently found that is now smooth. However, you can still feel the percussion hits on it. They are just harder to see.

No I'm not forgetting, there would still be signs of man's work unless it had rolled in the surf for a few thousand years.

Sorry, everything you have posted on thread are natural stone worked only my mother nature.

 

[galenrog]

All similar and man made

The only man made object in this image is the plastic.

Time for more coffee.

 

[unclemac]

we don't doubt your enthusiasm, we all share it... but your rocks are just that. The biggest "ask" is "would I use this for "XYZ". Remember, native folk had TIME to make there tools... T-I-M-E.... They made quality stuff that had obvious use, in fact, for the most part, our modern tools made for the same purposes, are very similar.

Do keep posting, If you tell us where you are, we may be able to steer you to more advantageous sites to hunt in.