We Found This in Bolivia but Can it be Dated and or Identified?

[capt dom]

Take a stab at dating this stone artifact!

 

[Broken knee]

Nice find, To me it looks like a pre Colombian or Toltec ceremonial knife. You might want to check the laws regarding
possession of it. You might be better off saying your grandfather found it 50 years ago. If it's legal to own it should bring big bucks. The head in this pic seams similar to the handle. This image is Toltec. I'll keep looking for a better image
Broken Knee
Better pic added I hope
The nose is different but stylistically similar. The rectangular ears specifically. J.M.O.

 

[capt dom]

We acquired this in Bolivia on the way to Potosi, more near Sucre
so I highly doubt it is Aztec. More likely it is of Tiuanacan origin
but I am seeking second opinions.

It was fortunately..... or unfortunately was broken into three separate pieces.
This made it legal to export. I reassembled it with some gorilla glue, {does
a great job} once at home.

Look at the face again then observe Tiuanacan sculptures.

I think This is a very old piece indeed! 8)
But, I am looking for second opinions.

 

[traderoftreasures]

looks like it has stabbed people in hopes of some rain or something

 

[capt dom]

If some of the alternative archeological assessments are correct
{which I for one believe is true}.... The last thing they needed
was rain!

This culture flourished before and survived one of the "pre-archaic
great floods".... like between 20,000 and 9,000 years ago!

That is when all that was left to live on in this area was the mountain
tops - that are now at 12,000 to 15,000 feet of elevation - sticking out of the oceans!

If they were stabbing folks back then, it was more likely to stop the rain!

 

[d2]

That is an absolutley great piece. I love it...d2

 

[ivan salis]

looks like a very very old indain (at least pre contact so 1500 AD or before being its made of stone --which exact tribe?) ceremonial type knife from that general area -- with which their preists offered up scrafices to their gods for whatever reasons they needed to at the time.---- too bad it was broken --but the again without it being broken you could not export it -- so maybe not so bad after all.

 

[naturegirl]

There is a guy in the Artifacts section who knows quite a bit about South American artifacts, you might post there.

 

[traderoftreasures]

blood is what darkened the tip most likely.

 

[BuckleBoy]

blood is what darkened the tip most likely.

A thousand year old blood stain? Gimme a break.

I'm more or less reading all the assumptions on this page, and tagging it for future replies so I can see what this is if it gets ID'ed.


Cheers,


Buckles

 

[ivan salis]

blood can indeed stain stone items -- and often they had large numbers of folks "offered" to the gods so it might have been used for a long time on many folks --it was clearly made for stabbing -- the iron in blood can stain stone over time if left on it over years of use . (many stones are pourous to some degree)

 

[traderoftreasures]

2 years ago i found a very large (9 inch) scraper in the same creek i found a 3 and 3/4 inch double fluted Clovis. The scraper was orange but the end was stained similar to this knife. as a matter of fact it was stained to the point of pitting. both items were 10000 to 13000 years of age. also found in the same creek was a paleo drill bit and a woodland era spear point

 

[Lucas]

Just for clarification, did you find it, or buy it in Bolivia?

As for orange stains on Clovis points... iron stains from the ground.

 

[ivan salis]

iron from the ground stains rocks --iron is also found in blood as well * a blood stained stone item if the blood is left on it long enough will also stain stone

 

[traderoftreasures]

Just for clarification, did you find it, or buy it in Bolivia?

As for orange stains on Clovis points... iron stains from the ground.

sorry i meant the scrapper was orange and the stain was grey here is a rough sketch of the piece ?

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Does it have sharp edges?

tag

 

[traderoftreasures]

oh you were probably meaning the knife in question

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

oh you were probably meaning the knife in question

yes, the ceromonial knife

 

[capt dom]

Not cut yourself sharp
but it does have an edge

 

[Bigcypresshunter]

Not that I know anything about it but have you identified the type of stone?