Strange Artifacts... Need Help on ID........

Garrett424

Silver Member
Jun 20, 2014
3,164
2,284
Granite, Maryland
Detector(s) used
Teknetics Omega 8000
Teknetics Delta 4000,
Deteknix XPointer,
Fiskar's Big Grip Digger & my old Army Trench shovel for the tough jobs
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I found these strange artifacts a few days ago on the same hunt when I found the monster ring.

With only the last moments of light left, I found an area about 10 x 10 feet with lots of iron and decided to dig some of it; just out of curiosity. I'm hoping I may have hit a spot that could hold something old and good. I dug an IH not far from this spot last year.

These look to be parts to some type of wind up mechanism. There are gears and what's left of a spring, I was thinking it may be clock parts but there is no face, crystal or anything else you would normally associate with a clock. The metal plates in the pics are maybe 4 inches in length by maybe 3 to 3 1/2" wide. That gives an idea of the scale. They're not very big pieces.
The big rusted glob on the gear is what's left of a spring.

Anyway, here are the pics:

Strange Artifacts July 10 2015 001.JPG Strange Artifacts July 10 2015 002.JPG

Strange Artifacts July 10 2015 003.JPG Strange Artifacts July 10 2015 004.JPG

That's all the pics so far.

When I get a chance I'll go back and poke around a little more and see what pops.
Those gears kinda' remind me of the Antikythera mechanism.



If anyone has any idea what these pieces go to I would really love to know.

Thanks for lookin' and Happy Hunting.
 

Last edited:
Upvote 5
I've dug several nearly identical pieces, and was told they were from a mantle clock also. Cool find, Sub 8-)
 

Maybe the windup key is nearby. That would be cool as heck. Wishful thinking though.
 

by2 (2).jpg Looks similar to the one (on the right) I found a while back. From where I found mine it is probably from the Victorian era. Nice find!
 

I've dug several nearly identical pieces, and was told they were from a mantle clock also. Cool find, Sub 8-)

Cool.
Sounds like were on the right track.
 

Yep, clock innards. Must have broke and the owners threw it away probably 100 or so years ago. :thumbsup:
 

Maybe the windup key is nearby. That would be cool as heck. Wishful thinking though.

Nothin' wrong with wishful thinking. It sometimes leads to something really great.
 

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