Help identify

[AdAstra]

Found near Orchard Beach, NY on Hunters Island NY. Native Americans lived in the area as well as early European settlers. It's made of stone. 3 inches long and 2 inches wide.

 

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[invent4hir]

Hi and welcome to TNet. Help us help you by giving us the dimensions and photos of all sides. Also any known details of the area where it was found including history.

 

[AdAstra]

Thank you. I updated my post.

 

[creskol]

Thank you. I updated my post.

I can't help with an ID, but that is a very interesting and unique find.

 

[invent4hir]

Thanks for including some extra pictures & dimensions. While I'm not sure what your find is 2 observations strike me: 1) The straight lines at approximately right angles in the first photo; 2) the faint diagonal lines in the second photo. So you've got a good eye.

If your find isn't IDed here, consider posting on the Rocks/Gems or North American Indian Artifacts sub-forum.

 

[Garscale]

I'm intrigued. Is it stone or ceramic? The marks on the end make me think it might be a seal but never seen one like it. Sure could be native American.

 

[AdAstra]

I'm intrigued. Is it stone or ceramic? The marks on the end make me think it might be a seal but never seen one like it. Sure could be native American.

I thought it was stone but my fingernail can scratch the surface of it. Does that mean it's ceramic? Is there a test I can do to see what type of material it is? It is heavy. It was found underneath rocks, low tide on the beach of hunters Island. So for most of its time it was underneath salt water.

 

[invent4hir]

In my amateur opinion, when I look at the first and last pictures the "neck" and "shoulders" of the piece appear so uniform - it is as if whatever this thing is was shaped by man. It doesn't look ceramic to me. Zooming in on the first picture it kinda looks like granite. If the nail you used was as hard as a steel file (6.5 on Mohs hardness scale), then it could've scratched a piece of granite (6 on Mohs hardness scale). You can continue checking hardness using the mineral appearing on this website -> https://geology.com/minerals/mohs-hardness-scale.shtml.

Orchard Beach has been part of a park since the 1930s and what was there before that might be found looking at some history books & old maps of the area. These may hold a clue as to what purpose this whatzit had.

 

[AdAstra]

Sorry, I edited my post. My fingernail can scratch the surface of it. It's heavy and feels like stone. But I'm unsure now since I can scratch it pretty easily.

 

[invent4hir]

Ah, yes now I see you did post at 11:47 AM, sorry I'm brain dead after watching my wife shop for clothes for 4+ hours. Since it has been constantly exposed to salt water, it may be waterlogged (thus the heavy feel). That exposure may also have softened it - thus your fingernail scratches it.

If other TNetters don't come through w/ an ID, consider showing it so someone at the nearest natural history museum or geology department at a university and see what they think.

 

[Retired Sarge]

Could it be made of/from Soapstone?

 

[CaptEsteban]

Since you said that it was easy to scratch, I am thinking it is made of soapstone as well.

 

[Gene Mean]

Interesting for sure. Maybe a net weight?

https://www.natickhistoricalsociety.org/archaeological-artifacts

Maybe a 'plummet'?

 

[invent4hir]

Soapstone makes sense. Apparently it even repels water and is heavy also.

 

[CaptEsteban]

Rub it with your thumb & forefinger then rub those fingers together. Does it feel like you have rubbed a bar of soap ??

 

[invent4hir]

Interesting for sure. Maybe a net weight?

https://www.natickhistoricalsociety.org/archaeological-artifacts

Maybe a 'plummet'?

Gene Mean, very interesting Good thing lots of TNetters put their brains together to try and ID things like this, b/c I never would've thought of a 'plummet'.

 

[Robot]

If A Fish Or Meat Was To Get Hammered...This Might Do The Trick?

I wonder if this might be a head of a small early Native Hammer Head?

The flat part would go against a flatten wooden handle and the end groves would hold tight the leather fastening straps.

Found in an area called Hunters Island a small hammer could have been quite useful!