What could this be?

[Lenrac2]

The park we go to metal detecting is well known to have been a gathering place for Native Americans although we had never found anything until now. We are in Illinois near the Mississippi. This rock is far too perfect to be natural. Could it be NA? For what? It is super smooth to the touch, like velvety. One end appears to be broken. The other end looks pecked up. It is tapered evenly on each side. Feels great in the hand. Any insight would be appreciated. Thank you!!

 

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[uniface]

Crinoid stem section ?

 

[Lenrac2]

Crinoid stem section ?

Do you have an example? This really looks worked by human hands but who or when, I don't know. Thanks!

 

[Fat]

... it has the look of a broken pestle but it hard to tell for sure...

 

[Lenrac2]

... it has the look of a broken pestle but it hard to tell for sure...

Maybe. But kinda small I thought.

 

[uniface]

I don't have an example of of one to show you. But google images has probably too many to count.

 

[Tdog]

Hello Lenrac2. That piece looks like a water-worn quartz rock. I can't tell for certain it's quartz but similar pieces can be found on rivers here in Alabama with the same polished surface made by mother nature. If that is battering on the end in Pic3, it may have been used as a pestle or a hammer so if that's the case, I think it was just picked up and used as it was found instead of fashioned by man.

The crinoid stems I've seen will have rings/grooves and look similar to the threaded shaft of a screw or bolt except not helical. This link will take you to crinoid stem/column images if you'd like to look.

crinoid stem segments - Google Search

www.google.com

 

[Buckleberry]

micro celt or adze with working bit broken off?

 

[Lenrac2]

I don't have an example of of one to show you. But google images has probably too many to count.

Thanks. It didn't look like crinoid stems I was familiar with so I thought you maybe had one I didn't know of.

 

[Lenrac2]

Hello Lenrac2. That piece looks like a water-worn quartz rock. I can't tell for certain it's quartz but similar pieces can be found on rivers here in Alabama with the same polished surface made by mother nature. If that is battering on the end in Pic3, it may have been used as a pestle or a hammer so if that's the case, I think it was just picked up and used as it was found instead of fashioned by man.

The crinoid stems I've seen will have rings/grooves and look similar to the threaded shaft of a screw or bolt except not helical. This link will take you to crinoid stem/column images if you'd like to look.

crinoid stem segments - Google Search

www.google.com

I am sure this is not natural as both sides are tapered too perfectly. Not sure if it was NA or some kind of piece of decorative stonework for something. I thought maybe someone had seen something similar.

 

[CreakyDigger]

That looks like an unfinished pipe stem.

 

[dognose]

the shape is similar to old sharpening stones I have seen. but the material does not look like sharpening stones.

the material sort of looks like a sandstone to me.

nor does this look to be a broken pestle to me.

 

[uniface]

FW I W, it doesn't take that much rolling & tumbling in a creek to wear the sides down past the rings when it's a soft stone. I have a similar one here, buf there's no point to trying to post an image of it -- two unknowns are no improvement (since it seems my supposition is wrong).

 

[Lenrac2]

That looks like an unfinished pipe stem.

No hole though....

 

[Lenrac2]

the shape is similar to old sharpening stones I have seen. but the material does not look like sharpening stones.

the material sort of looks like a sandstone to me.

nor does this look to be a broken pestle to me.

I was thinking maybe sharpening stone too. It seems very hard. Not sandstone.