✅ SOLVED Mysterious G-Shaped Copper Piece Found, What is It?

High Plains Prospectors

Supporting Vendor
Supporting Vendor
Nov 15, 2023
90
193
Olathe, KS
Detector(s) used
Minelab Equinox 900, XP Deus II, Garrett AT Pro
A couple year ago ScrapIron was metal detecting an early Native American trade site along the Missouri river when he unearthed an intriguing artifact using his XP Deus II metal detector. The object is pictured below.

g shaped item found metal detecting

Front of Item

IMG_3059_480x480.jpg


Rear of Item

IMG_4140_1_480x480.jpg

Also found in the same hole was a worked copper piece and an abrasion stone.


Not thinking much about it he knew the site was an early site so he hung onto it. He has asked several very experienced detectorists about the piece over the years and nobody seemed to know what it was. Rather than tossing it he decided to keep it. He had always had it in the back of his mind.

One day recently when organizing some of his finds, he ran across it again. He had a little time on his hands so he decided to do some more research. He decided to use Google Image Search to see if it yielded any results.

Lo and behold, the search turned up a result...kind of. It lead him to an article by the Florida Historical Society's FHSAI Adventures in Florida Archaeology Magazine 2022. In one of the articles, there was a picture of the exact thing he had found!

Angola was a prosperous community of up to 750 maroons (escaped slaves) that existed in Florida from 1812 until Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821, at which point it was destroyed. The location was along the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida, near Manatee Mineral Springs Park.

article_picture_480x480.png


Image from FHS Adventures in Archaeology Magazine

In the article Professor Rosalyn Howard stated “...the underlying intentions of the ritual objects, to attract spiritual power for offensive or defensive purposes, remained and their physical placement inside or outside the home had significant meaning.” As Howard noted, the G-shaped belonging could have been used for many purposes, including an ornament, buckle, or fastener, but its burial in a pit was intriguing. One cultural possibility is as a representation of the Yoruba orisa (deity) Ogun, a god of war and iron, who is honored by jewelry usually made of iron, but other metals could have substituted.

The item in the picture featured in the article had been cleaned and the two iron rivets are missing. The one ScrapIron found still had the iron rivets in it. We are curious if anyone else has found something similar. If you have, let us know, we would love to hear your story!
 

When I saw this I immediately recognized the artifact as one matching it was found at the 2020 dig there in Manatee. I had dealings with that dig and was not too happy with how the site was interpreted by those who directed it. They interpreted the site to fit what they wanted and ignored many archeological principals such as TPQ, time lag,tobacco pipe stem bore dating, coin attrition.....etc etc. They refused to use older maps and tax records that showed the site as being part of the 1840s settlement....ok I will stop there, but I did my own report on the site which tells the whole truth. The G piece is still a mystery....
 

Upvote 8
When I saw this I immediately recognized the artifact as one matching it was found at the 2020 dig there in Manatee. I had dealings with that dig and was not too happy with how the site was interpreted by those who directed it. They interpreted the site to fit what they wanted and ignored many archeological principals such as TPQ, time lag,tobacco pipe stem bore dating, coin attrition.....etc etc. They refused to use older maps and tax records that showed the site as being part of the 1840s settlement....ok I will stop there, but I did my own report on the site which tells the whole truth. The G piece is still a mystery....
Interesting. It is funny nobody can identify it. We tried contacting them to see if they had determined anything but haven't heard anything back. Maybe someday somebody out there will be able to identify it. Thanks for the input!
 

Upvote 1
Looks like an internal contact plate for an electric switch to me.
 

Upvote 6
Looks like an internal contact plate for an electric switch to me.
Honestly that is what I thought at first look. We kind of tossed it aside. But it was located at a site that is known for early 1800's finds. And, the iron rivets in copper would not make sense on an electrical device. Then, we found it in this article. The one they found was discovered deep at an early 1800's site as well. It could be some sort of hanging type piece off a pot, scabbard, etc. Hopefully time will tell.
 

Upvote 2
The archaeologists at the Manatee River site were quick to label it as a ritualistic Angola piece as it was found in a pit where some post molds were present, thus interpreting it as an Angolan hut.....but they ignored a map I had presented them which showed a fenced chicken yard there which was right behind an 1840s house structure. Yes it was deep but they scraped the site with a bulldozer which removed a 1960s area of fill. I wish someone could identify it as they coaxed the idea that it was hand made as if it were unique.....
 

Upvote 1
My first thought was "attached to leather". But without better pictures, I can't say much more...
 

Upvote 1
The archaeologists at the Manatee River site were quick to label it as a ritualistic Angola piece as it was found in a pit where some post molds were present, thus interpreting it as an Angolan hut.....but they ignored a map I had presented them which showed a fenced chicken yard there which was right behind an 1840s house structure. Yes it was deep but they scraped the site with a bulldozer which removed a 1960s area of fill. I wish someone could identify it as they coaxed the idea that it was hand made as if it were unique.....
That might be why they do not want to recognize our request...it would mess with their narrative. Funny how science is now omitting information so they can push a preconceived notion/narrative nowadays isn't it?
 

Upvote 4
In my own report, i called it their "agenda"....what makes the news. there is a saying that applies to professors such as the one who directed the dig...."Publish or Perish"
But back to the actual artifact, What I found interesting about the artifact(both of them) is the indent at both sides of the areas that look like rivet or solder connections....as if they were simple buckles that attached to a leather strap. Definitely made for a specific purpose and obviously mass produced to some degree.
 

Upvote 1
In my own report, i called it their "agenda"....what makes the news. there is a saying that applies to professors such as the one who directed the dig...."Publish or Perish"
But back to the actual artifact, What I found interesting about the artifact(both of them) is the indent at both sides of the areas that look like rivet or solder connections....as if they were simple buckles that attached to a leather strap. Definitely made for a specific purpose and obviously mass produced to some degree.
Agreed on that.
 

Upvote 1
A couple year ago ScrapIron was metal detecting an early Native American trade site along the Missouri river when he unearthed an intriguing artifact using his XP Deus II metal detector. The object is pictured below.

g shaped item found metal detecting

Front of Item

IMG_3059_480x480.jpg


Rear of Item

IMG_4140_1_480x480.jpg

Also found in the same hole was a worked copper piece and an abrasion stone.


Not thinking much about it he knew the site was an early site so he hung onto it. He has asked several very experienced detectorists about the piece over the years and nobody seemed to know what it was. Rather than tossing it he decided to keep it. He had always had it in the back of his mind.

One day recently when organizing some of his finds, he ran across it again. He had a little time on his hands so he decided to do some more research. He decided to use Google Image Search to see if it yielded any results.

Lo and behold, the search turned up a result...kind of. It lead him to an article by the Florida Historical Society's FHSAI Adventures in Florida Archaeology Magazine 2022. In one of the articles, there was a picture of the exact thing he had found!

Angola was a prosperous community of up to 750 maroons (escaped slaves) that existed in Florida from 1812 until Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821, at which point it was destroyed. The location was along the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida, near Manatee Mineral Springs Park.

article_picture_480x480.png


Image from FHS Adventures in Archaeology Magazine

In the article Professor Rosalyn Howard stated “...the underlying intentions of the ritual objects, to attract spiritual power for offensive or defensive purposes, remained and their physical placement inside or outside the home had significant meaning.” As Howard noted, the G-shaped belonging could have been used for many purposes, including an ornament, buckle, or fastener, but its burial in a pit was intriguing. One cultural possibility is as a representation of the Yoruba orisa (deity) Ogun, a god of war and iron, who is honored by jewelry usually made of iron, but other metals could have substituted.

The item in the picture featured in the article had been cleaned and the two iron rivets are missing. The one ScrapIron found still had the iron rivets in it. We are curious if anyone else has found something similar. If you have, let us know, we would love to hear your story!
Quite a bit of speculation via. that Arch. article. But then again a lot of Archaeology is based on speculation.
 

Upvote 2
A couple year ago ScrapIron was metal detecting an early Native American trade site along the Missouri river when he unearthed an intriguing artifact using his XP Deus II metal detector. The object is pictured below.

g shaped item found metal detecting

Front of Item

IMG_3059_480x480.jpg


Rear of Item

IMG_4140_1_480x480.jpg

Also found in the same hole was a worked copper piece and an abrasion stone.


Not thinking much about it he knew the site was an early site so he hung onto it. He has asked several very experienced detectorists about the piece over the years and nobody seemed to know what it was. Rather than tossing it he decided to keep it. He had always had it in the back of his mind.

One day recently when organizing some of his finds, he ran across it again. He had a little time on his hands so he decided to do some more research. He decided to use Google Image Search to see if it yielded any results.

Lo and behold, the search turned up a result...kind of. It lead him to an article by the Florida Historical Society's FHSAI Adventures in Florida Archaeology Magazine 2022. In one of the articles, there was a picture of the exact thing he had found!

Angola was a prosperous community of up to 750 maroons (escaped slaves) that existed in Florida from 1812 until Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821, at which point it was destroyed. The location was along the Manatee River in Bradenton, Florida, near Manatee Mineral Springs Park.

article_picture_480x480.png


Image from FHS Adventures in Archaeology Magazine

In the article Professor Rosalyn Howard stated “...the underlying intentions of the ritual objects, to attract spiritual power for offensive or defensive purposes, remained and their physical placement inside or outside the home had significant meaning.” As Howard noted, the G-shaped belonging could have been used for many purposes, including an ornament, buckle, or fastener, but its burial in a pit was intriguing. One cultural possibility is as a representation of the Yoruba orisa (deity) Ogun, a god of war and iron, who is honored by jewelry usually made of iron, but other metals could have substituted.

The item in the picture featured in the article had been cleaned and the two iron rivets are missing. The one ScrapIron found still had the iron rivets in it. We are curious if anyone else has found something similar. If you have, let us know, we would love to hear your story!
Viking artifacts
 

Upvote 0
Looks machine made to me.
 

Upvote 2
Here's another!
Hmmmm....that is interesting. It could be some sort of rotary switch. I initially thought that myself. The article from FHS kind of threw me for a loop. Glad you shared this...this is the third one we have seen found thus far...still no positive ID but this helps build up some info on it. 2 in Florida and one in Missouri.
 

Upvote 1

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