somebody please help

javelinmansst · Mar 19, 2006

hi, I have been trying to get some input about a stone carving that i found in a field in northern Indiana(millersburg). unfortunately, everyone seems to think it is a joke, or they dont believe me when I post the picture of it. I cannot get a response from archelogical experts that i have emailed, and i am pretty much at my wits end.
so I think this time I will go about this in a different way. Instead of posting pictures of this artifact(or what I believe to be and artifact) , I will first describe it and then, with the moderaters permission, perhaps I can post pics. The object I uncovered is approx. 12 inches in length and wieghs around 20 pounds. it is a phallace. it is most definatly a carving, because there is no possible way that a natural formation could pay attention to so much detail.also, it has a base which allows it to stand erect(no pun intended). the base has grooves carved in it that go all the way around, it looks like maybe a leather strap or something may have been tied to it at one time.
I read about an indian tribe that made carvings like this that were used in burial ceremonies. the carvings ranged from 4 to 12 inches in length and often had grooves carved around the bottom to accomadate a leather strap.the only problem is that the geographical location is all wrong. I am dying to get some input on this really rare and unique find. YOU WILL NOT BELIEVE THE PICS. remember , this is no joke, someone please take this seriously for once and allow me to post my pictures so that I might get some info on this find $:-\$

hollowpointred · Mar 19, 2006

northern indiana you say? i dont know about the american indians but i know the phallus was a common symbol in african and south american ancient art.do you know what type of stone it is carved from? i hope you can find your answers. it could be worth a pretty penny if its the real deal.

Gypsy Heart · Mar 19, 2006

I agree with Hollowpoint on this one....look toward early african american art .Indiana was a gateway during the Underground Railroad era.......I will look in reference books and see what I can find....definately dont want to google it ...as then I know what will show up.....

gord · Mar 19, 2006

http://www.nps.gov/ocmu/Georgia.htm

"There is another rarely mentioned connection. "Phallic representations are rare in the Southeast, but several examples have come to our attention... There are two large clay phalli in the United States National Museum; both are from Etowah. There is one in the possession of Mr. Pat Wofford of Atco, Georgia, and the writer has in his possession another, both from Etowah. A similar phallus with a cross incised on the glans was found at Macon... In addition there are three quite similar pipes from Georgia, one found at the Lamar Site and another at the Mossy Oak site, both near Macon. The other is in the Heye Museum; all are in the shape of male genitalia." (The Waring Papers: The Collected Works of Antonio J. Waring, Jr.) The stone phallus from the Macon Plateau is now in the park's collection at the Southeastern Archeology Center at Tallahassee, Florida (Jack Walker, personal communication). Waring suggested these were fertility symbols associated with the growing of maize."

2/3-3/4 down the page. And Google didn't come up with what we expected, at least not in the first 3 pages.

javelinmansst · Mar 20, 2006

im happy to see that i finally got some legitiment reply's to my post, not to mention intelligent replys.Gord, you sound like you really know your stuff. ok, here goes , Im going to post a link to my pics of the item in question. I figure if I post a link , its not the same as posting obscenities on the forum. (you never know who might get offended) . you guys take a look at it and tell me whether or not you believe it is an artifact or just a freaky, one in a billion, totally unbelievable rock formation.
you decide.
here they are,
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/javelinmansst/rock+001.jpg
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/javelinmansst/phallus+002.jpg
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/javelinmansst/phallus+003.jpg
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/javelinmansst/phallus+004.jpg

Atlantis0077 · Mar 21, 2006

Greetings,

Well you certainly have a big one.....whatever it is.

I have some old reference materials that list amulets and bars that do have certain similarities to anatomical parts.....the bar being a "two headed" phallus appearing object. However, in all the photos and descriptions of these objects they are more carefully crafted than your piece. I would agree with you that it being an accidental occurrence is remote, but will will also say I think it is a freak of nature and not an actual created relic. Normally something of that ceremonial significance would be quite carefully made....polished etc. Your object appears rather rough in texture and not well made. Not being able to actually handle the object and take a up close view....lol, I can offer no more insight to its origins than that. If its not an Indian or African relic, you certainly have in interesting conversation piece. I know in South Texas there are rock formations that look just like deer antlers....though yours is the other end of spectrum...lol...it is possible its natural.

Atlantis

javelinmansst · Mar 22, 2006

atlantis,
after reading your post, i began taking a little closer look at my anomaly. I was leaning toward your assessment about it being natural until I found this pic on the net.. it is very rough and almost looks like it is carved from the same type of stone.
http://mywebpage.netscape.com/javelinmansst/sex03.jpg

so now i guess im back to square one. $:-\$

Atlantis0077 · Mar 23, 2006

Morning,

Well my assessment remains the same. The stone piece in your latest photo is more obviously crafted to be what it is....also as the card says from the "Roman" era, I gather its not from the Americas. We all know the Romans were more extroverted sexually than many cultures so they probably made many such objects...and their pottery, tiles, etc is replete with nudes and sexually explicit acts. One question I failed to ask you is have you found a large amount of other relics etc in this field where you found the phallus? If the answer is few or none, then I would say you have a natural anomaly for certain. Unless of course that time period had a Lorena Bobbit running about with a flint knife flinging parts from her canoe.

Keep looking,

Atlantis

javelinmansst · Mar 23, 2006

although some arrow heads and pottery have been found in the same field, (and also a large mound like a burial site) i tend to lean your way, simply because of the material that it is made from. it appears to be granite, and that is not exactly a prime candidate for carving. it just seems more unbelievable that nature could form this thing.

it is cylindrical for starters and the resemblance to the real deal is uncanny! its just one of those things i guess. oh well, it will make a good paperweight. maybe I can sell it on ebay. who knows. thanx alot

Atlantis0077 · Mar 24, 2006

Morning,

Hey yea man its a conversation piece for sure. No doubt there is someone out there that would be happy to purchase it. EBAY would be a good place to start....but what genre??LOL Anyhow keep looking and best wishes to ya.

Atlantis

Gypsy Heart · Mar 24, 2006

After looking at the photo...maybe it was a practice piece for sculptures working with granite....or it was broken off of a full size sculpture.......Are there any artist studios near there

i see Indiana lists many studios that work with granite and stone carving http://www.niaaonline.org/resources/galleries.htm