New member and my best two pieces.

[Rich86]

New member here. We farm creek bottom ground in NW Kansas and have several places with good hunting. The grind stone came up on the belts of our terracer the shaft straightener was found near a flint outcropping where they harvested flint. What you guys think?

 

[willjo]

Some nice pieces there

 

[crj1968]

New member here. We farm creek bottom ground in NW Kansas and have several places with good hunting. The grind stone came up on the belts of our terracer the shaft straightener was found near a flint outcropping where they harvested flint. What you guys think?View attachment 1494785View attachment 1494781View attachment 1494784View attachment 1494786View attachment 1494787

Very very nice......I imagine you have other stuff as well. Welcome !

 

[rginn]

Pretty cool. That may be something else instead of a shaft straightener, but I can't think what.

 

[rock]

Pretty cool. That may be something else instead of a shaft straightener, but I can't think what.

Looks like a old milling stone but small. The milling stones or grinder wheels get real big I have seen some on a creek bank that are a foot thick and 3-4 feet across.
But the grinder and Metate look like the real deal. Looks to be a lot of history on your farm, now lets see them points I know you have found. Welcome to the site, rock

 

[Rich86]

Thanks guys here are some other pieces, complete points are hard to come by as the ground is farmed but here is what I got.
The last two I believe to be the tooth of some ancient critter.

 

[Rich86]

Rock. Could be? It is hard to tell in the pictures but the hole is kind of oblong as if it was worn running up and down a shaft. You guys knoledge trumps mine. I'm just a farmer lucky enough to have good artifact ground!l

 

[Old Pueblo]

Thats a beautiful metate and mano.

 

[Rich86]

Thats a beautiful metate and mano.

Thanks. Also now know the proper term I just call it a grindstone. Dad called it a grist mill.

 

[Mark Todd]

That's a very nice latter day metate and I agree with others that the donut shaped object is probably not an abrader or shaft straightener. "0ld Puebla" gave me hints to locate information on donut hole shaped artifacts. Here's some information worthy of reading, however it is.not based on data from your region, but it still might be applicable...
More information available If requested.

 

[Rich86]

Mark, that is interesting information. So basically it could have had many different uses and no way of knowing for sure. Had never heard of digging weights.

 

[Mark Todd]

Mark, that is interesting information. So basically it could have had many different uses and no way of knowing for sure. Had never heard of digging weights.

The information I posted was based on studies in particular California coastal areas and island(s). I located another similar archeological study on similarly shaped donut holed artifacts farther north along the west coast. However I've not yet found any archeological reports of similar artifacts in Kansas, nor have I searched for any references there. It's possible for an artifact of a relatively similar shape in one region to be manufactured and used for a completely different intention and purpose in another region.
Regardless of whether it was used for digging or harvesting a particular plant as in the information provided, (my suspicion) is that it's function was probably not an abrader, but something else.
If there is a university with an archeology department in your region they would probably be happy to have you send several pictures to them and comment on what you found.
They should be well informed on the artifacts particular to your region.
And by the way, I'd never read about digging weights either until a few weeks ago.

 

[Old Pueblo]

Thanks. Also now know the proper term I just call it a grindstone. Dad called it a grist mill.

Grindstone is also correct. Metate and mano is what they're called in the Southwest.

 

[tamrock]

I find pieces of your regional flint material 400 miles west of you out here where I live. Always good to a cat around.