🔎 UNIDENTIFIED Is this a piece of a latch/lever?

[invent4hir]

Hi all, while sifting dirt from a 2'x3' hole at what I believe is an early 1800s cabin site, I came across this. Other things found in the same hole were a tiny 2-piece button, a marble, a knife blade, 6 pottery sherds, and 60 rusty nails.

 

[dz302]

Stuff looks old. The marble should date the hole to within a 20 yr period. Maybe post
a couple pics of the marble... one with the light behind it. Nice finds.

dz

 

[invent4hir]

Stuff looks old. The marble should date the hole to within a 20 yr period. Maybe post
a couple pics of the marble... one with the light behind it. Nice finds.

dz

Thanks dz302. I believe the marble found is an Unglazed Clay marble that typically has a matte, chalky finish. In general, most things found at the site were minted/manufactured between the mid-1700s and mid-1800s. This artifact baffles me, so trying to find out its purpose.

 

[Retired Sarge]

From one angle it reminds me of a thumb latch door plate. But heck if I know.

 

[invent4hir]

Retired Sarge, thanks. Which of the 6 pics gives you that impression? Besides its shape/function - another thing throwing me - is what appears to be some dark blue "paint" as seen in the last pic. As rusty as the rest of this artifact is and other ferrous found nearby, it seems this is a bit newer than mid-1800s on. But...

 

[Retired Sarge]

Retired Sarge, thanks. Which of the 6 pics gives you that impression? Besides its shape/function - another thing throwing me - is what appears to be some dark blue "paint" as seen in the last pic. As rusty as the rest of this artifact is and other ferrous found nearby, it seems this is a bit newer than mid-1800s on. But...

Pictures 3, 4 and 5.

 

[Almy]

If some of the paint is on top of the rust, as the lower blotch suggests, it could indicate that the paint was added after the piece had rusted. For something that rusted, that is most likely. Normally badly rusted items do not retain paint that had been applied when they were new.

 

[ARC]

From one angle it reminds me of a thumb latch door plate. But heck if I know.

I second that notion.

 

[invent4hir]

If some of the paint is on top of the rust, as the lower blotch suggests, it could indicate that the paint was added after the piece had rusted. For something that rusted, that is most likely. Normally badly rusted items do not retain paint that had been applied when they were new.

Almy, after looking closer, its not paint afterall - just an area that hadn't rusted yet.

 

[invent4hir]

Pictures 3, 4 and 5.

Retired Sarge, thanks again. Looking at the first pic, I'm thinking the right end of the 1st pic was a pivot point, and the rest of it was a lever to open something. I'll try to remove some rust to see if that theory holds up - but by doing so may do more harm than good. Heading back to the site tomorrow. Maybe I'll find my first ever gold coin 20" deep amongst 10 rusty nails.