Small slate teardrop pendant with tally marks

[dognose]

This small slate teardrop pendant with tally marks is 1 7/8 inches long.

Both sides has a single tally mark

Close up of the hole, conical drilling from both sides. Inside where the drilling met is well worn down but where the drill met you can see under magnification the rim, also the upper area of the outside of the hole is worn, So the hole is not as round as when initially drilled.

 

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[newnan man]

That is an awesome pendant.

 

[CreekSide]

Nice colors on that one. Good score

 

[ArfieBoy]

That is a pretty one. Congratulations and thanks for posting.

 

[ToddsPoint]

That’s a beauty! You’re in just the right spot for the good slate. That type of slate is called Huronian, its source near Lake Huron. The glacier brought it down into IN and OH. I’m in IL and we are too far west and I’ve never seen any of the Huronian in the glacial till. Slate is shale that has undergone metamorphosis and it takes a real nice polish.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Nice pendant, especially with the tally marks. Wish we knew for sure what the tally marks represented.

 

[MAMucker]

Love it!

 

[antmike915]

Excellent example 👍

 

[Older The Better]

Great pendant looks like you’ve got the market cornered on slate, you think the hole changed with wear? How long do you think that would take?

 

[dirstscratcher]

The "tally marks" looks to me like they were possibly there to provide purchase for something tied to the pendant, probably decorative, just a guess.

 

[dognose]

Great pendant looks like you’ve got the market cornered on slate, you think the hole changed with wear? How long do you think that would take?

yes, the hole has changed due to use wear. I have not done any test to determine the wear time on slate. I think different slates would wear differently. I have a few other slate items which the hole shows wear. No idea how long it may take for sure, but I think it would take a number of years.

 

[OntarioArch]

Beautiful! I need one of those for my collection; anccient artwork.

 

[unclemac]

The "tally marks" looks to me like they were possibly there to provide purchase for something tied to the pendant, probably decorative, just a guess.

agree... notice how both marks are at the same level. I vote something was attached to hang from it, making this pendant even better!

 

[scruggs]

Beautiful find , love the material!

 

[vonfatman]

Beautiful!
I have not heard or read of "tally marks" before now... I have managed to figure out (I am slow) what marks you all are referring to, but what is the "definition" of these marks? Want to learn.

Thanks.

vfm

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Beautiful!
I have not heard or read of "tally marks" before now... I have managed to figure out (I am slow) what marks you all are referring to, but what is the "definition" of these marks? Want to learn.

Thanks.

vfm

Here is my best pendant with the most tally marks. No one knows for sure what they mean or represent. Tally marks are distinctive notches in the worked piece.

 

[CreekSide]

Here is my best pendant with the most tally marks. No one knows for sure what they mean or represent. Tally marks are distinctive notches in the worked piece.

View attachment 2108601

Hard not to like that one

 

[vonfatman]

Thank you Treasure Hunter. Great example.

vfm

 

[ToddsPoint]

When I was in 2nd grade I got my first Daisy BB rifle. I turned into a bird killer real quick. I tally marked the plastic stock with each kill. We moved to the city when I was in 5th grade and I could no longer hunt birds. By that time I had 125 tally marks on my stock. Tally marks could represent about anything and the Indians used tally marks a lot.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

When I was in 2nd grade I got my first Daisy BB rifle. I turned into a bird killer real quick. I tally marked the plastic stock with each kill. We moved to the city when I was in 5th grade and I could no longer hunt birds. By that time I had 125 tally marks on my stock. Tally marks could represent about anything and the Indians used tally marks a lot.

LOL, I had a couple Daisy BB rifles growing up, did a lot of camping as a kid, bird hunting was how I got my food, then cooked it on a spit.

I have thought about tally marks as being possibly kill totals, like some gunfighters did in the old west since pendants were personal items.

Who knows?