Is this what I think it is...?

[Birky]

So I was invited out with my detector to a farm that belongs to some family friends this weekend and I had an excellent time. I plan to post my MD finds later when I get more time but I just couldn't wait to get some opinions on this one..

While detecting a large unplanted field area something with a very familiar shape caught my eye, I glanced over and sure enough it was an arrowhead and the first one I've found since I was a kid, I was very pleased. When I showed it to the landowners they acted like it was as common as finding a modern penny in a parking lot.. They then proceeded to show me 3 display cases full of arrowheads, spear points, pottery shards and various other artifacts, many of which were in excellent condition and I'd never seen the likes of..all recovered on the property over the years. At this point I was absolutely intrigued and they directed me to a large creek bed that ran along the edge of the property where they said many of the artifacts were found, I headed in that direction with haste.

I searched the creek for a couple hours until I came upon a large clay shelf where the bank was collapsed and I saw a strange shape sticking out of the thick grey clay..if it wasnt for the strangely perfect hole bored in the end of the object I would have passed it up without a second glance. I reached down and pulled it out of the ground and when I wiped some of the dirt away I could see what appeared to be a face carved in the front and an indentation in the top which was packed full but I figured it was a second hole..I was ecstatic at the thought of what this could be. I showed it to the landowners and they congratulated me on my find and said they thought it might be an "effigy pipe" and possibly crafted by the Shawnee? who were widespread through the area.

I took it home and gingerly cleaned its orifices with warm water a bit of dish soap and some toothpicks/qtips..this is the result.



After I cleaned it I couldn't help but feel as if I just made a mistake, even though I was very careful. Was this a bad idea?

I would also love to hear any opinions on the objects age /origin or otherwise that you knowledgeable folks out there can offer.

Thanks for reading and HH,

Chris

 

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[wvwildman]

banner vote here

 

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[ClovisOak]

Awesome find! Congrats!

 

[Ia.FurTrade]

Just posted my "Banner" vote!!! Very rare "Turtle effigy" pipe!

 

[catherine1]

Repost this on the North American Artifacts forum. Awesome find!!!!!

 

[Birky]

Wow I definitely didn't expect this much of a response..thank you all for your kind words and especially for those who voted it for a banner find!
I thought maybe I was just overly excited and I even thought for a brief few moments that It may not even be Native American at all..

I am still reeling from this one and it will be something that I treasure for the rest of my life. I have always had a great love and respect for Native American culture and history since the time I was a small boy. My father used to take me "arrowhead hunting" in the local fields after they were plowed and these are some of my fondest memories as a youngster. It's something I've always wanted to do again and just never really made time for it until now. I really couldn't be happier

A banner was something I never would have anticipated and I won't count on it passing but again, many thanks to those of you who voted

HH,
Chris

 

[Birky]

Awesome effigy pipe!!!! And, do not let anyone make you feel bad about finding and keeping it.... You were on private property with full permission and blessing of the owners. Great find!

Thanks Thrilla and I have to admit I did feel a bit guilty at first..I mean after all, do I have the right to keep such a historical object? Just by the simple fact that I was the one to find it?

Well It didn't take me long to decide the answer is absolutely YES

Now that's not to say that I wouldn't like to have this find documented and possibly even shown in a museum..I just have to sort out how exactly I'm going to approach that particular scenario as I've never been down that road.

HH,
Chris

 

[Birky]

Turtle/snake its awesome, needs your banner votes !!

Keep @ it and HH !!

Way to rally the troops on my behalf MUD, that means a lot to me coming from a veteran of Tnet

HH,
Chris

 

[Tnmountains]

Very nice find. Is it clay? The eyes look to be sand reed drilled. I would have to guess turtle head also as it was always seen as a sacred item and associated with direction much like a compass . Looks like you have a really nice place to hunt some ancient artifacts.
HH

 

[Birky]

Thrill.....

He didn't have permission from the "Spirits", though.

Being someone who has a fair amount of Native American blood in his veins and a high regard for the history, I'd like to believe that I indeed have the "spirits" blessing

Thanks for the banner vote brother!

HH,
Chris

 

[mangum]

Yeah... this is a BANNER find! You don't find artifacts like this everyday!

 

[laurenB]

Banner vote

Turtle vote

Maybe it found you :-)

 

[Birky]

Very nice find. Is it clay? The eyes look to be sand reed drilled. I would have to guess turtle head also as it was always seen as a sacred item and associated with direction much like a compass . Looks like you have a really nice place to hunt some ancient artifacts.
HH

Thanks Tnmountains, and to be quite honest with you I'm not exactly sure what it's constructed of.. I thought clay at first but upon cleaning it up some the stone took on quite the sparkle. My gut tells me sandstone but I'm only guessing with limited knowledge on the subject.

I also believe it is a turtle's head

I will be returning to this spot hopefully this weekend..I can't wait

HH,
Chris

 

[huntsman53]

You got my Banner vote!

Good luck and I hope that you get the Banner!


Frank

 

[torreya]

Amazing! Banner vote!

 

[treblehunter]

Wow that is such a cool find, congratulations, I'm hoping I'll be starting to find some stuff like those in the future, there were allot of Lenape Indians in my area.
I put in my banner vote, It would be cool if a museum could carbon date your pipe, there is no way of telling how old this could be? It could be far older then any coin any of us find. I'm so happy for you, I would be reeling from a find like that.

 

[Tenspeed]

What a neat eye spy find!

 

[MUD(S.W.A.T)]

I can't take it anymore, I'm some what of an artist and I'm sure its a snake...
Look at the difference bellow and you can see that its a snake.

The mouth is flat and long, no points on the snake and the nostril on the turtle is way in front.
The pipe, you can see it depicts the nose and mouth of the snake NOT the turtle.

 

[Trooper733]

very nice find. I agree with the snake crowd. Looks like the head of several non venomous type snakes, but for some reason reminds me of a rat snake or chicken snake most.

 

[Trooper733]

Another banner nomination from me also......

 

[Roland58]

Cool find, no doubt,and I go with the "snake" crowd. No offense intended, but, what good would carbon dating accomplish, other than dating the material from which it is made? It would not reveal when it was made. Someone knowledgeable in native American artifacts could possibly relate it to some similar items and provide more information about it.....I doubt it was the only one ever made, but, it could be unique. Was it found close to the arrowhead? If so, the arrowhead could possibly shed some light on the origin of the carving......take them both to an expert and let us know what you find out. I'll give you a banner vote for originality for sure!