I.D. help on an unusual ground stone. (updated pictures)

[Mich. Wolverine]

I have never posted on this site but have be looking at the finds for some time. I love seeing the artifacts but I don't feel qualified to comment because I know very little about Indian artifacts. I have learned a lot and there are very know ledgable people on here. I found this stone in northeastern lower Michigan in a river. I thought it might be a atlatl weight but have not seen one that was similar and have no clue what it would be used for. It's three and three quarter of and inch long and one inch wide in the middle. Has anyone came across a stone like this? In the 1880's a guy was digging a basement and at 6 feet down found the remains of a campfire that had stone tools by it. The stone that I found was 30 yards upstream from the campfire.
Thanks for any information.

Wolverine.
Sorry about the big pictures I just looked at them. If someone can resize them feel free to do so.

 

[Hippy]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

It may be a very early stage preform Birdstone. If that's the case I've never seen another one like it. Very interesting to say the least. I can definitely see where a head and tail could be started out of that shape.

Hippy

 

[ohio]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

Certainly an artifact but, i do not know what it could have or was going to be. Kudos for recognizing it as an artifact.
Chuck

 

[creek astronaut]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

real interesting find,that piece was used for something.It does fit the typical size for a atlatl weight,very well could have been used as a weight for something else??thx for sharing the pics

 

[Th3rty7]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

Looks like a preform of some sort..bannerstone?

 

[wells]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

early-stage something for sure.

 

[pickaway]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

interesting piece... problematic...

 

[Mich. Wolverine]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

Thank's for the replies everyone. I thought maybe it was an unfinished birdstone, but I never seen one like it. I will try to get these pictures compressed because you really lose the scope of the piece with the picture being so big. I wanted to try and get close ups of the grinding and pecking. I guess one thing about it is the stone has some weight and is hard and must of taken a lot of time to grind an peck it to this form. Why would they spend that much time on something and not finish it? Lake Huron is about 150 yards from this river so could this be some kind of net weight?
Thanks for the info.

Wolverine.

 

[jeff a]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

looks like they were going for a birdstone

 

[joshuaream]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

It's certainly something... My first thought is also birdstone, but most birdstone preforms that I have seen are quite a bit larger than that... Popeyed birds are often in the 3 inch range, but the material seems a little bland for one. If you get the material wet, is there any color/banding?

 

[Mich. Wolverine]

Re: I.D. help on an unusual ground stone.

It's certainly something... My first thought is also birdstone, but most birdstone preforms that I have seen are quite a bit larger than that... Popeyed birds are often in the 3 inch range, but the material seems a little bland for one. If you get the material wet, is there any color/banding?

With water on it, it looks black with no banding. When it's dry it's a grayish green color. Your right it's a pretty bland stone except for the grinding. I looked at a lot of Indian artifact on line trying to find something close to the shape but nothing yet. I made a mistake on the dimension above it's an inch high at the middle and three quarters of an inch wide. If this was the start of a birdstone it would of been very small when finished. But then again I don't know much about these artifacts.
Thanks for all of the comments and interest.

Wolverine.