artifact?

Hi All, I am brand new to this site, and to metal detecting in general, and need some help identifying a possible artifact. I found this object while digging a signal near a creek in Michigan. However, this object fell out of the hole I was digging and is NOT metal! It appears to be made from...

I originally posted this in the "what is it" forum but it was suggested that I post here as well. My husband found this item several years ago in Kansas City, Missouri. Our original thought was that it was a large hook of some kind but we had a friend take it to someone they thought might know...

My husband found this several years ago in Kansas City, Missouri. He had a friend take it to someone they knew and that person deemed this a natural formation. Any opinions to the contrary here? Thanks in advance, LJP