Shell Tool

[JohnDee1]

Hey ya’ll just wanted to share this neat whelk/conch tool I found. I recovered it near a shell midden on the southern Georgia/northern Florida coasts. Thing weighs a ton, and I imagine it would pack quite the punch when affixed to something. Thanks for reading!

 

[newnan man]

Nice shell hammer! I read where they would force the shell on a branch then in a year or so the branch had grown tight to the hole. Cut it off handle length & ready to go.

 

[villagenut]

Pretty stout looking hammer

 

[Buckleberry]

Could the hole have been made by a predator, hard to tell the symmetry of it.

 

[newnan man]

Could the hole have been made by a predator, hard to tell the symmetry of it.

Yes but unlikely. Too big and aligned perfectly for a handle to come out through the opening. End is wore down as well where it was used. Many had two holes in them for the handle but single hole ones are common. If Tom Clark sees this post he'll know for sure.

 

[JohnDee1]

Thanks for the responses. Really is something to hold and ponder its previous user. As for whether the whole could have been derived from natural origins, I say it is possible but unlikely. In addition to what has been stated above, I found it within a fairly secure context including the presence of other native shell and pottery.

 

[tomclark]

That is a really nice example. Well made and not exhausted..