Cool find for me

[RGINN]

I was camped on the Colorado side of Navajo Reservoir this week, and I went to check out this one site I had found before. In the last few years, scavengers have come in and picked clean almost every potsherd laying around. Nothing that would be the centerpiece of your collection, but you could see good examples of different cultures and influences. I still walk it and just look. So I see this one rock, believe me a lot of rocks there, and the groove, like a plow mark if we were in Oklahoma, caught my eye. I had to pick it up and look closer and I believe this is a hafted hammerstone. I've seen them before, but I've never encountered one in the wild so to speak, so I was a little bit slow to make the association. If so, it will probably date back about a 1,000 years. You guys can tell me if I'm right.

 

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[robertk]

I'll leave the ID to the experts, but I agree, that's a cool find. Nice one!

 

[CreekSide]

Nice grooved Maul
A few theories float around on these for use.
Hammer stone possibly
Club Head
And one they believe used like a weight for a horse leash. I read the last one some place.

 

[RGINN]

Thanks CreekSide. According to other artifacts found in context with this, they didn't have the horse at that time, but I've heard that too. Mauls I've seen are heavier, but could be. I didn't see much use wear on either end. I was pretty tickled have spotted it and get to look it over. We never came across those in SWOK.

 

[antmike915]

That's a cool find 👍

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Very nice full groove maul aka skull crusher. If it could only tell it's story. Imagine being hit in the head with it from horseback.

RGINN, I started watching Centennial again. Pasquinel just died....

 

[tamrock]

I'm with what treasure hunter says. Being in the location you found it. I don't believe it's anything like what would be used in a woodland society as a useful implement. That thing is ment to deal the enemy.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I'm with what treasure hunter says. Being in the location you found it. I don't believe it's anything like what would be used in a woodland society as a useful implement. That thing is ment to deal the enemy.

You are right sir, it was made and it's primary use was for combat, add a nice wood handle wrapped in rawhide and leather wrist band it would be a very lethal weapon, on horseback or hand to hand..

RGINN, what does it weigh?

 

[RGINN]

Boy I'd have to guess T_H cause I don't have it now, but I'd say no more than two pounds. In this Chimney Rock area they did a lot of building, and a lot of stone work, so they would have a need for hammers. Those Chacoan guys came up and they were master stone workers. They have some examples over at Chimney Rock, and they classify them as building tools. Still, don't hit me with that, haha!

 

[tamrock]

Boy I'd have to guess T_H cause I don't have it now, but I'd say no more than two pounds. In this Chimney Rock area they did a lot of building, and a lot of stone work, so they would have a need for hammers. Those Chacoan guys came up and they were master stone workers. They have some examples over at Chimney Rock, and they classify them as building tools. Still, don hit me with that, haha!

Yeah maybe so.

 

[ToddsPoint]

Boy I'd have to guess T_H cause I don't have it now, but I'd say no more than two pounds. In this Chimney Rock area they did a lot of building, and a lot of stone work, so they would have a need for hammers. Those Chacoan guys came up and they were master stone workers. They have some examples over at Chimney Rock, and they classify them as building tools. Still, don hit me with that, haha!

You didn’t leave it out there did you?

 

[RGINN]

Yeah I did leave it there. Went over to the truck and rinsed it off for a couple more pics, then replaced it. Not in such a way it will casually be spotted. I got good pics, I got lots of other stuff legally collected, so this can lay there maybe another thousand years. I can still find it.

 

[dognose]

very nice find.

I agree, not a hammer stone, but the skull crusher style of weapon
a very nice find.

I have two similar relics in my collection, both from western states.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

very nice find.

I agree, not a hammer stone, but the skull crusher style of weapon
a very nice find.

I have two similar relics in my collection, both from western states.

View attachment 2169109

View attachment 2169110

Nice Maul/skull crushers..👍

 

[ArfieBoy]

Great find! You got some nice pictures of it. Thanks for sharing.

 

[RGINN]

Well thanks for the replies. Doing some more checking, and Mesa Verde archies ID it as simply a hafted hammer stone, used in shaping rocks in buildings they constructed. However, I like the skull crusher idea. Besides, I have a straight claw 24 oz. hammer. It was designed for hammering, pulling nails, wrecking out forms, etc. But if push comes to shove, yeah buddy it will become a war club.