Virginia Soapstone Boatstone

[Indian Steve]

Howdy All, Here is a soapstone Boatstone that I found in Meadows of Dan Virginia about 30 years ago. Hope you enjoy. steve

 

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[GaRebel1861]

Its a nice one too!

 

[DigIron2]

Ones of those are on my wish list too,but I guess I could say that about all the artifacts out there.The stuff is very hard to find for me.That is a museum quality piece!Very Nice

 

[Indian Steve]

Before I found this one I had never seen one except in books. An article that I read said a good one had just a hole at either end, better one had the holes and a string groove and best had holes, string groove and nipple on top. My first and only is the best. I about had to change pants when I saw it. steve

 

[NCPeaches]

Wow! That is a beauty! what was it used for?

 

[rock]

Very nice piece.

 

[Indian Steve]

People used to think that they were choker type necklace pieces but most now believe that they were a type of bannerstone.

 

[Americus]

That is an incredible find. Tell us about finding it.

 

[SCrocks]

Killer piece! Thanks for showing

 

[sandchip]

Sweet find all day long!

 

[theviking]

Wow, very nice! Thats a find of a lifetime, thanks for the view.

 

[Indian Steve]

It's a long story. First, let me say that I also got 67 whole points that day and all were found in one pile together. Hooked Yet? Now for the let down. There was an estate auction on a farm that the same family had lived on for 4 or more generations. The old man was known as " one of them rock nuts" by locals. The family was one of those that never threw anything away. There was at least a pickup load of just Quaker Oats Boxes, two or three truckloads of the nice old cotton feed sacks, and on and on. The auction went on for three days from dawn till dark. The auction company had advertised that there was an Arrowhead collection. I was there by 6am the first morning to see that the arrowhead collection amounted to three riker cases with OK points. By 7am, there were over 200 bidders. As I said before the old man was a rock nut and they ever threw anything way. There were over 50 banana boxes and another 20 50 pound dog food bags of rocks that were mostly large chunks of quartz crystal in the middle of the yard. While the auctioneer was working his magic, I was going through every box and bag. One box had the top half full of seashells. When I got to the bottom , it was covered in points and in the middle was the boatstone. I covered it with a seashell and refilled the box with shells. As I went through all of the other boxes and bags, I kept one eye on THE BOX. Nothing really special in any other box. I found a good spot and waited and watched THE BOX all day. Nobody looked in any of the boxes. About mid day the riker cases came up and sold for over $200 each. There were bidders that had came from as far away as Ohio just for the relics. And I waited and waited...... About 7pm I went to one of the auction workers and said that I wanted to bid on a box of rocks and had to go home soon. I pointed out the box, he carried it up front and I opened the bid at $10 and won. Guess who is known by the locals as the crazy old rock nut now?

 

[SCrocks]

I have a friend who found 400 whole points that were pushed up in a wind row. After the land was clear cut there was a old rotted down barn that was pushed up with the rest of debris before it was replanted in pines. Who ever lived and farmed there many many years before must have picked them up in the fields and left them in the barn.

 

[unclemac]

your story sounds like one of my aunts farms....she even had jars of those twist ties straightened out and saved....and of course a cigar box full of points.

 

[yakker]

*That* is an awesome story Steve! Some old families up there in them there mountains- or used to be before the park. That boat stone is freaking amazing! Were the points good too?

Thanks for that treat! Yakker

 

[Indian Steve]

The points were as good and better than the ones in the riker cases that sold.

 

[yakker]

Ain't you just a sneaky dog! Yakker

 

[Indian Steve]

WOOF! I left the best part of the story out. After winning my box of rocks, I carried them to the truck, pulled out the boatstone and took it back to show all of the relic bidders what was in my $10 box.

 

[pickaway]

Nice artifact.

 

[discoidal roller]

WOOF! I left the best part of the story out. After winning my box of rocks, I carried them to the truck, pulled out the boatstone and took it back to show all of the relic bidders what was in my $10 box.

That is hilarious! Other than the zigzag on the edge of the groove, are the other motifs? It looks like maybe there is something represented using the groove as centerline.