To Be or Not To Be

[Segway]

From the moment this was found I felt and believed it to be something special. Now months and countless researching hrs later all I know is what it isn't. Hoping the devil is in the detail of what I believed to be an eye and someone with greater experience might be able to at least tell if the artist was ancient man or mother nature. Either way it is one of a kind!!

 

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[Tdog]

I'm going with Mother Nature.

 

[Older The Better]

It’s those kinds that give me trouble looks like that one end has 3 big removals that stacked up then there was some edge work… but at the same time the patina and the soft edges and type of rock make me want to say no… by type of rock I mean, there’s a flint around here that fractures naturally and I’m always suspicious when I find it yours looks very similar.

 

[Segway]

Thank you for your insight Older, very much appreciated. The removals, the eye, and honestly it striking appearance has kept me at least hopefully. But you hit in on the head, flint can do crazy things. My thought of a bird head or bird stone is way off for material and documented pieces too. Still learning a lot and not familiar with drill holes at all, is there a good way to distinguish? Thought maybe the pattern could finally put an end to this thing driving me crazy! Lol

 

[oldmxrat]

I see several reduction flakes ending in a hinge fracture that probably made the piece useless for further reduction into a point. The inclusion is natural.

 

[Garscale]

Is it something special? No. I do, however bel it eve it is an artifact. I see pretty good evidence that the whole item was stuck from a core and has the scars of prior removals.

 

[antmike915]

Looks like a possible attempt but probably discarded.

 

[Segway]

This forum rocks, really appreciate everyone’s knowledge and experience base! Happy to just know I can at least recognize something that is worked. Want to build on that to get close to being able to see stages of whatever I come across.

 

[smokeythecat]

I also agree an artifact that had internal issues in the stone and was discarded before finished.

 

[Relicgrubber]

Nope, Nope and Nope.

Throw it back imo.

 

[Tdog]

When I first glanced at this piece, I thought I was looking at piece of cortex struck from a core. Enlarging it and looking at it in more detail convinced me otherwise. You guys are seeing knapping scars and I am seeing weathering and erosion. That material is sedimentary & very fossiliferous. The ridges and valleys are very soft and terminate at a step where the material is layered. To me, that and the overall appearance plus the absence of any sharp, crisp edges say water wear / erosion produced and detached via natural processes. You never said where it was found Segway or the terrain or vague location. All I can assume is Missouri (from one of your previous posts).

 

[Older The Better]

I agree with you t-dog that?s why I have a tough time telling with those kind of rocks. It does seem like the ?scars? are soft but I?m also not familiar with water worn pieces? I can see both sides
I will say the flint I?m talking about does have fossils in it.

I knapped a part of it if anyone was skeptical it was flint

I?m 30 mins from Missouri so could be the same stuff, it?s just a tough material that gives me trouble still

 

[Tdog]

I see the update. That material surely has a lot of fossil voids or "vugs" very similar to Segway's piece. A lot of flint/chert does. So looking at the piece you just knapped, we can see the fresh edge just created as well as the surface texture you just now exposed. Good update. Thanks.