opinion on artifact

[julian faedo]

I went to one of my shell mounds that I dig, and found a manatee rib bone rounded on both ends and small grove all around it. I thing it is a wieght for fishing ?

 

[GatorBoy]

Very interesting ... that could have been an atlatl counterweight.

 

[larson1951]

fishing sinker.nice

 

[ridgecrawler]

fishing sinker. nice artifact.

 

[GatorBoy]

do you think bone would have worked as a sinker? especially when new. would that not have floated? unless

it was fossil already.

 

[tomclark]

It sure does look like fossil bone and manatee rib at that.... fishing weight...(unusual IMHOP) or net guage (Likely!?!?!) Boom!
Maybe was gonna score it and make two plummets and for some reason gave up?? Fossil bone like that is friable and doesn't lend itself to work like limerock or other materials. I've found many pieces of fossil rib bone that were worked but never found a complete artifact made out of one. Very cool.