One Incredible Find

[dutchtoga]

I came across this amazing find metal detecting. I was detecting an island on the Hudson River that Native Americans used to inhabit. There are flakes everywhere and you can find a point now and then. In the late 1800's their was an ice house on this location and later a park. It's been a great place to metal detect. I've found many first finds at this spot such as seated, barber's, 2 cent's and many many Indian head pennies. I've always looked for arrowheads there but it's really been picked over. I was detecting and got a nice signal, 76VDI, about 6 Inches deep. That's what all the IHP were coming up as. So, I thought great another Indian but it wasn't. It turned out to be a .22 casing. I checked the dirt again, moved it around with my coil and this ring appeared. However, I wasn't getting any tone on the detector. I picked it up and could see it was obviously worked. To me, it was better than finding most anything because, I know I may never come across another artifact quite like this one! At the end it's squared off and round than about mid way it starts to bevel and angle up to a point that is still pretty sharp. I not sure what it's made out of. I don't think it's bone. Given, the history of the Island I'm certain it's Native American!

I also posted a couple of the nicer points found on said location.

 

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[quito]

Now that is quite a site! Nice find there!!

 

[rock]

Nice stone finds, i have no idea on the round thing, rock

 

[Aleisters]

Hi the circular object isn't an artifact its a large rodent tooth probably a groundhog/woodchuck. Their teeth keep growing and are usually chipped off by grinding, but sometimes you will find extremely long ones that grow into almost complete circles. The picture on the top left shows a circular woodchuck tooth. Nice points, I bet that area is loaded!

 

[olroy70]

could it be a chicken leg ban?

 

[dutchtoga]

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=989113"/> Hi the circular object isn't an artifact its a large rodent tooth probably a groundhog/woodchuck. Their teeth keep growing and are usually chipped off by grinding, but sometimes you will find extremely long ones that grow into almost complete circles. The picture on the top left shows a circular woodchuck tooth. Nice points, I bet that area is

I brought the object to the NYSM they ruled out rodent tooth, bone, and Bakelite. Please try again and help me ID this find. To me this is BANNER. I have found enough to know what I'm looking at and have over 20 years of experience. I'll post some more finds from the general area. I got other photos on my computer these are just the ones on my tablet.


So my initial response was to call it an overgrown rodent tooth (especially since you mentioned it was "bone-like"), which may have been used as a earring. However, I've had a colleague (Robert Feranec, Curator of Pleistocene Vertebrate Paleontology) look at your photos, and he thinks it looks too perfectly circular to be a rodent tooth. Dr. Feranec also noted that the specimen doesn't appear to have any traces of enamel / dentin, as a tooth likely would.


Archaeology Collections Technician
CEC 3049 - Phone (518) 486 2018
New York State Museum
NYSED Cultural Education Center

 

[*Molly*]

Nice finds, congrats..

 

[monsterrack]

Very nice find could it be ivory. If native americans used it , it was for a nose ring, ear ring. Have someone look at it under a scope.

 

[dutchtoga]

I posted these to new photos to better view the objects shape and size. Thanks for looking.

 

[dutchtoga]

One last shot Incase someone didn't know they were looking at a dime. Lol.

 

[NCPeaches]

All are great finds! Wish I could help out on the identity of the circular item but I'm stumped too. I'll watch for it when I do my searches.

 

[yakker]

What an interesting little piece! I'll keep my yes open for similar items in my various searches as well- HH! Yak

 

[The Grim Reaper]

 

[Americus]

Nice finds. Thanks for sharing.

 

[dutchtoga]

I do agree it does look similar to the woodchuck tooth. The assessment I got from the NYS.

G'day again,

So my initial response was to call it an overgrown rodent tooth (especially since you mentioned it was "bone-like"), which may have been used as a earring. However, I've had a colleague (Robert Feranec, Curator of Pleistocene Vertebrate Paleontology) look at your photos, and he thinks it looks too perfectly circular to be a rodent tooth. Dr. Feranec also noted that the specimen doesn't appear to have any traces of enamel / dentin, as a tooth likely would.

I look forward to seeing it in person on Wednesday or Thursday morning (whichever works better for you!)

Talk soon,

Archaeology Collections Technician
New York State Museum
NYSED Cultural Education Center

I can only go on what I was told by the NYSED. You nice folks with your 50 + years with no degree may know more than them. It was looked at under microscopes and brought to many different departments. I was told not a tooth, bone or a plastic called bakelite.
That's all I know.

 

[Rege-PA]

I agree with Aleisters assessment

 

[Buckleberry]

I agree with Aleisters assessment

Agreed, it looks EXACTLY like a woodchuck tooth, I remember early in my headhunting days, finding a "bone pendant" that turned out to be a recent steak dinner

 

[wetfly]

If ever there's a jeopardy catagory on rodents I know where to come. Amazingly fast responses and actually looks damn close lol. Anxious to hear what it actually is! Congrats!

 

[mattysee]

i vote banner!!! nice find "wood chuck"

 

[trevmma]

yep, i would say definite tooth, i have found many at my site