Never seen anything like this!

[unclemac]

when you drive along the coast highway in California you can drive by huge cuts of that material, it is very easy to find and to carve.

 

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[crj1968]

when you drive along the coast highway in California you can drive by huge cuts of that material, it is very easy to find and to carve.

Unclemac, do you think the OP's piece was carved? Or is the shape some natural strangeness?

 

[Bow Only]

I hate to interrupt BWB and the Jesuits, but it does kind of look like corprolite. I don't think that is what it is, just an observation. My assessment of the piece would be similar to what the earlier poster said. It's a hand real for fishing. Line would be wrapped around the rock and different depths could be achieved by unwinding the string. The piece was carved for a continuous unraveling without the line catching anywhere and the rock would be held in the hand. Wood was mostly utilized for this purpose and this is why we don't find them. Perhaps this guy just wanted the "Cadillac" of hand line reals.

 

[unclemac]

Unclemac, do you think the OP's piece was carved? Or is the shape some natural strangeness?

it looks carved to me, out of steatite...soapstone, the real question for me is what is its back story.

 

[Backwoodsbob]

California is full of carved stones. Just about everywhere you go one can see the work on the hills and mountain. That is if you know what to look for. It could be anything. I like the hand reel theory but doubt it.

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[Charl]

There's a term for artifacts that remain unsolved or uncertain: they're called problematicals. Sometimes the function or purpose remains unsolved, but they are still artifacts. This piece seems more artifactual then fossil. Looks like it has distinct ends for example. Stands on one end, knobbed at the other end, plummet-like knob. Unless someone can positive ID a fossil here, this looks like a problematical artifact, and if steatite, as likely Native American as later....

 

[Backwoodsbob]

Charl, Happy new years to you. Check out the thread Just drill holes. Tell me what you think

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[jeff of pa]

Interesting Piece !
I guess being where you posted it,
I'd guessing Stone , however.. I feel I have to ask

Stone or Metal ?

There are Fossils Similar but Different

Archimedes corkscrew bryozoa

Fossil Roulette

probably thousands of others that look closer .


It almost looks like it was threaded & Melted.
(or Carved Bullet ? melted finial ?)

I could go way out there & suggest melted space Junk,
(satellite,Shuttle,rocket,Alien Meteorite) But That would be a big Surprise.

 

[Charl]

Having collected fossils my entire life, I did recognize the similarity in appearance to some fossils. Still, I'm not at all certain it really looks like any actual fossil. If it's steatite, it's not a fossil, and if it's metal, it's also no fossil. Having collected meteorites for 30+ years, I can at least confirm that it is definitely not a meteorite.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

Well, since he still hasn't ID'ed the material I have refrained from stating my opinion, but I will now.

It looks like Steatite and most likely is a piece off of something larger that they then grooved. For what purpose, who knows. I see quite a few pieces of re-purposed Steatite in California collections. This I know for a fact because I have seen them, just like the ones in this link. Your theory has never been proven by anyone. Show your proof.

The link is blocked here at work - but I would go with steatite.

As for the purpose I can think of a couple. It looks to be worn as it would be if something flexible was wrapped partially around it and pulled hard. But that doesn't mean I'm anywhere close. Possible use as a burnishing tool to smooth out twisted sinew cordage or leather lacing?

Did we establish where it was found? Cordage can be/was made out of all sorta of natural fibers and materials - some courser than others. Cedar inner bark and yucca fibers take some work to prepare. And dried sinew has to be wetted out and softened. That piece would work VERY well in the palm to pull sinew taught when wrapping a stone or metal head to a wood shaft.

Just a WAG - but I don't think it's a natural piece, fossil or formation.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

The link is blocked here at work - but I would go with steatite.

As for the purpose I can think of a couple. It looks to be worn as it would be if something flexible was wrapped partially around it and pulled hard. But that doesn't mean I'm anywhere close. Possible use as a burnishing tool to smooth out twisted sinew cordage or leather lacing?

Did we establish where it was found? Cordage can be/was made out of all sorta of natural fibers and materials - some courser than others. Cedar inner bark and yucca fibers take some work to prepare. And dried sinew has to be wetted out and softened. That piece would work VERY well in the palm to pull sinew taught when wrapping a stone or metal head to a wood shaft.

Just a WAG - but I don't think it's a natural piece, fossil or formation.

Charlie, he says it was found in California so that is why I think it's Steatite. My link was to a post on another web site from a man that has lots of Steatite artifacts and some problematicals like this one. I'm surprised this was moved to the Fossil forum because like Charl I have collected fossils for about my entire life and while it resembles some I don't think it's a fossil.

 

[Backwoodsbob]

Well I wonder what else it could be?

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[unclemac]

it could be nothing more than an item caved with a dremel tool which is why we need more context.