Well it isnt a Milling Ball.

[rock]

I took this with many other items to the ID in my town for NA Artifacts hosted by Loyd E. Schroder. He has a site I use to try and get ideas on some that I find and I dont know what they are. Anyway he looked at it and said it isnt a milling ball but its also not a NA game ball either. Its made from Kaolin Clay and it is a mystery for what it was made for. Just giving a update on it.
Here is his site and it has many artifacts from Ga and Fl listed on it and also a good variety of pottery info with some great pictures. Its Peach State Archaeological Society

 

[rock]

Forgot the pic this shows a fracture in it.

 

[joshuaream]

I'd still go back to milling ball or ceramic agitator... Google alumina ball (alumina not aluminium) and you'll see that they go from tiny to very large (larger than that.)

FWIW, I'm not sure how you would tell Kaolin and an old Alumina ball apart without some intense chemical analysis, they are both basically an aluminum oxide clay with silicates.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

i would not be too sure about the mill ball idea...Imerys Ceramics | Ball clay - sanitaryware, tableware, tiles

also...some maya ball games were played with a stone ball...not always hard rubber balls.

 

[rock]

I posted this is the What forum as well. Surf solved it for me. It is called a Carpet Ball from around the 1800s. Just thought I would let everyone know.

 

[GatorBoy]

Wow.. This thing just doesn't go away.
Didn't you say you had it tested by a professional once And it was quartz?
I'm not going to break your chops.
Just saying..

 

[rock]

Well it isnt a milling ball. Surf gave pictures and everything. Yes I had 2 look at it and then Loyd looked at it for me in person. He is the one that told me it was clay.

 

[GatorBoy]

Oh....... So they didn't actually touch it... But someone who did said it was clay And they didn't know what it was for... "a mystery"... Here are modern Alumina balls "clay" used in high temperature agitation. "Milling"
Can't imagine holding a ball of clay and by weight alone not knowing it wasn't solid stone.


Sometimes they fracture ..
They bounce into eachother.

 

[rock]

Dont be mad just go with it. You can always send Surf a PM and see what he says.

 

[GatorBoy]

Mad??..haha. OK?...
Happy hunting

 

[GatorBoy]

Well I just took a look at your post In the what is it forum... surf took a guess.. and also stated that most of the examples of his guess did not match yours because they are glazed.

 

[GatorBoy]

These were his examples..
That you stated looked like he "nailed it"







I think this was funner when you were positive it was a quartz game ball.

 

[NC field hunter]

I think Surf has the best comparison thus far.

 

[rock]

I believe the last one looks very much like mine. Mine doesnt have a seam on it. Well the book I have has one like it also but its made from a quartz type. But they say Game ball. Loyd pointed out a good point as it is too perfect of a sphere to be made by hand if it were quartz. It shows fracture lines and it crumbled a bit in his hand. I know it isnt a milling ball. I did allot of research on it. Surf has given the best examples that I have seen anyone give and his were the closest to what I have.