WHAT COULD THIS BE?

27davis · Nov 6, 2010

I PURCHASED THIS INDIAN ARTIFACT AT AN ESTATE SALE IN BLUE EYE, PA. THIS STONE IS IN THE SHAPE OF A TRIANGLE.. IT MEASURES 6" IN EACH DIRECTION X 3" THICK. INTERESTING PART IS MORTAR LIKE HOLES WORN INTO THE POINT OF 2 OF THE 3 POINTS.

The Grim Reaper · Nov 6, 2010

I hope you didn't pay much for it because I believe the holes are just from natural weathering. Some people may try to tell you it's a "nutting stone", but I don't see any evidence of it being pecked into that shape or the holes being pecked into the stone.

catherine1 · Nov 6, 2010

I don't know about the pecking marks that SRV is talking about, I would like to see some of his nutting stones, as I am sure he owns some examples of those artifact characteristics. If it is natural, and a Native American Indian found it, I'm sure they would be cracking their nuts in it as soon as they saw it. The front of it in the first picture seems to be hammered though.JMO. Don't put your nuts in it yet! Keith. Nice pics.

Ohio_Doug · Nov 6, 2010

Thats a natural formation no doubt in my mind. Sorry

The Grim Reaper · Nov 7, 2010

catherine1 said:
I don't know about the pecking marks that SRV is talking about, I would like to see some of his nutting stones, as I am sure he owns some examples of those artifact characteristics. If it is natural, and a Native American Indian found it, I'm sure they would be cracking their nuts in it as soon as they saw it. The front of it in the first picture seems to be hammered though.JMO. Don't put your nuts in it yet! Keith. Nice pics.

Keith, I have a few but not very many. I quit carrying them home a long time ago unless they are really, really nice and most of them aren't. I'll see if I get some pictures of the ones I have and post them for you. Usually when I find one in the field I wil take it to the edge and set it on a fence post or somewhere where someone else will see it so they can have it if they want it.

Twitch · Nov 7, 2010

No idea if it is or isn't a nutting stone. I will this though, if it is it's the first one I've ever seen that doesn't sit stable on it's own. All that I have are able to sit flat on the ground and be utilitized w/ no additional support. This one looks like it would balance with the cup pointing up, suggest to me that it's a geofact and not an artifact. The hole looks the right shape/size but the rock it's in doesn't look like a practical or easily usable tool. Just my two cents.