Request for help in identifying object found near Ohio River

[jefrenshaw]

Good morning, everyone.

Yesterday I purchased the little guy in the attached picture. I bought him from a main in Jeffersonville, IN who said that he found him near the banks of the Ohio River. He said that he spoke with officials at the Falls of the Ohio State Park and that he was told that it is likely a Hopewell Rain God from around the 6th century AD. Unfortunately, the interpretation center at the Park is closed for renovation until fall, so I'm not able to speak with them myself.

Any idea what this could be? He seems like he's in awfully nice shape to be 1,400 years old. Also, any advice about where I can go in the southern Indiana / Louisville, KY area to get an expert opinion?

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me. I'm new to treasure hunting.

Jeff

 

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[choo]

Yeah looks like southwestern rain God! I hope you didn't pay much for it!

 

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[RGINN]

Looks like somethin more related to the Four Corners down here, and I don't think it's native to your area's culture. However, it could have been traded up to that area.

 

[joshuaream]

Charl is correct. Absolutely a Tesuque Rain God tourist piece. It was probably found at a garage sale by the Ohio River vs in the river.

Not sure how much you paid, it's a neat piece and with some research might be worth a couple hundred dollars if it's 1880-1900, but the lack of paint probably hurts it. I'd say the seller pretty clearly fibbed, if you paid a bunch I'd get my money back.

I lived in Louisville for many years and have been to the falls center a bunch of times for fieldtrips and with my kids, they do identify pieces but for anything more than a basic arrowhead they refer people to the local archaeological society. They wouldn't have ID it as a Hopewell Rain God from the 6th century.

 

[Mark Todd]

Nice work on this one "Charl", I should have paid more attention to your post, you nailed it right off the bat. Those fishtail hands didn't look right for anything Hopewell or Mississippian and seemed to be restricted to the Tesque pueblo you alliterated. Nice work!

 

[Charl]

Nice work on this one "Charl", I should have paid more attention to your post, you nailed it right off the bat. Those fishtail hands didn't look right for anything Hopewell or Mississippian and seemed to be restricted to the Tesque pueblo you alliterated. Nice work!

Thanks. No biggie. I remembered seeing these on eBay now and then. Otherwise, I doubt I would have known......