Found a half-sphere of lumpy molten metal

[Rific]

Hello, I'm back! Still at it...this time i've found a huge piece of what looks to be cooled molten metal. As you can see, it is pretty round in shape. This suggests to me that it is man-made, possibly by native americans. I don't have much knowledge in the world of smelting, but if this was a man-made smelted item, would there still be bumps on it, or would it cool as a perfectly flat and rounded half-sphere? I'm not sure, so, perhaps someone else could shed some light on the find!

I tried to break off a chunk to take home, but the best I could do to it was a small cut into it and scratch the surface for a glimpse at the inside and I mean I WHACKED at this thing. Appears rusted/tarnished on outside but with a bright gleaming whitish/steel metal on inside. A close guestimate on the diameter of the metal is 2 and a half feet.
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And here are some nuggets/possible host rocks of matal i've found in my area by digging/panning/surface sniffing - Might they be connected? Anyone know what this host rock is, or the loose nuggets found also? It is not a soft metal at all, very hard to scratch, and not very ductile either.

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Edit: I almost forgot...if it was man-made...how did it get under that unmovable rock? Small scale landslide and it flipped on it?

 

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[Eu_citzen]

At first glance the first pics doesn't look man-made. Sulphides often have metallic looking properties, so do some oxide minerals.
But the nuggets have something slag-like to their look. Have a pro look at it, as a prospector, this would have you interested.

 

[Rific]

At first glance the first pics doesn't look man-made. Sulphides often have metallic looking properties, so do some oxide minerals.
But the nuggets have something slag-like to their look. Have a pro look at it, as a prospector, this would have you interested.

Great...I was hoping I wouldnt have to lug that thing out of there...gonna need a car jack, and something flat and sturdy to keep the jack from just sinking into the creek. I will bring this sewer drain/manhole cover of a rock home right as soon as I find a way to tie it onto my back...

 

[Eu_citzen]

Great...I was hoping I wouldnt have to lug that thing out of there...gonna need a car jack, and something flat and sturdy to keep the jack from just sinking into the creek. I will bring this sewer drain/manhole cover of a rock home right as soon as I find a way to tie it onto my back...

Use a hammer and chisel, break off small pieces and have it assayed to be sure,approx 1 Kg is ideal.. (if budget is not a matter)
Larger pieces are best for ID, knowing the mineral(s) present might tell you if it's worth assaying. (or, when budget does matter)

I'd use a smaller sledge since it's resisting hammering.

 

[DDancer]

I would ask around and see if there is anyone who has and Xrf device. Pawn shops, precious metal dealers or jewelers and possibly a local geologist or school. That would be the most inexpensive way to get a snap shot of what minerals are in the specimens you have.
The rock in the creek may have just been pinned there by land movement and as EU says it looks like its a sulfide. I was tempted to think its got a lot of pyrite in it but pyrite is usually pretty brittle. As to the metalic nuggets try a streak test and hardness test. They do look like a melt of some sort so maybe someone at some time was cooking rocks like that creek stone at some time.

 

[Eu_citzen]

A little note on the XRF. Be aware that it tests only the tiniest bit of the specimen, several "tests" at different places of the specimen are suggested.

 

[Rific]

Thank you very much DDancer and Eu_citizen. I really do appreciate you guys sharing the knowledge you possess . I can't stay out of the field for very long to figure out exactly what it is I'm taking home with me..maybe thats why I'm not married. Heck I can't even keep my eyes off of landscaping rocks. I need help I feel like I'm breaking a commandment 'Thou shall not covet thy neighbors rocks'...Anyways I'm taking today off to catch up on the in house work! Wait until you guys meet ILLINOIS! Just give me a couple of hours and I'll show you what I've found out. Its not much, but I don't think that it's a man made object anymore...TBC

 

[Backwoodsbob]

All bares the markings of the priest treasure stash. nice fine.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

[Rific]

Ok welp here goes...at first I was just joking about the car jack, but I really think that I need one to get out the sewer drain. The diameter of it is closer to a yard/meter, it's trapped under that huge rock slab, and it probably weighs over 150 pounds...HOWEVER, I found some of these others nearby, and some that I think go along with the story...

Meet the Chicago Bulls superstar and my beautiful puppy who can't keep his nose out:
- Pic 00 - Metal slab that looks like a bull either smelted by man or nature had its way of eroding and concentrating the metal elements in the rocks above it and they trickled down into pools below. (See below for "rocks above") I can tell this one is a tad lighter in density (its around 55 pounds) because the top layer of rock is not fully melted into solid metal.
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Now here are some close ups of the 3 sets I have posing - 1st set - All 3 of these rock types (2 are the same) were found next to/near illinois, and as you can tell, the 2 rocks on the bottom are what was above the metal slab and melted to form it.
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Is this a "spinifex" texture or just a habit of the specific crystal formation? Also, note the same coloration of the rust spots in these rocks - Medium density
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Illinois -
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Dunno what this is - looks like lava to me? - Light -
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Second set - rocks not found near Illinois - all heavy like a metal
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I believe it to have the same texture as what melted to form Illinois. Perhaps the same type of matrix, but with different minerals in it that gave it a different color/behavior -
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This is what I believe to be the host rock of the nuggets i've found as you can plainly see them in it...does slag have little bits of metal nuggets in it and also have a multi coloration like that? I want to say it's some kind of nickel alloy mix, but the nuggets are very tough and I hear nickel is supposed to be ductile or malleable like gold/platinum - resistant to a steel blade, but does not want to scratch a mirror -
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Dinosaur rib bone or bull rib bone? Feels like solid metal to me, but has different coloration/behavior than illinois as this one is curved and thicker -
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3rd set - This one doesnt pertain to the story, but I thought I might be able to throw it in there and get an answer on it too! I found it away from all the others as well, but it seemed awful strange..It has a weird fusion crust type of outside layer with a spiderweb of crust remnants, plus a high density (very heavy 10+ pounds) I thought I might have myself a meteorite! I spared this one the hammer
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All in all I'm hoping that if I do have some junk old plain smelt waste that I do indeed have a meteorite instead! Or maybeee that meteorite fell and caused a pressure melt or some kind of volcanic activity...

 

[Eu_citzen]

Some does look like slag for sure. #5 from the bottom looks like a brick. Perhaps a furnace lining.
I'd be looking about to see what they worked. Iron or something else?

 

[Rific]

Well if that is a brick there, it wasn't native americans so I think the hunt ends there. I suppose the 2 don't have to be connected and the smelt mechanics do seem to be primitive so perhaps I'll take it someone. The brick looking one has a diff side to it as well where you get the idea that it's the same type of rock that melted to form the metal. The pictures didn't transfer over in full resolution so I'll have to figure out a solution, flip the brick and show you what I mean about that too. I could just be stupid as well

 

[Eu_citzen]

Well if that is a brick there, it wasn't native americans so I think the hunt ends there. I suppose the 2 don't have to be connected and the smelt mechanics do seem to be primitive so perhaps I'll take it someone. The brick looking one has a diff side to it as well where you get the idea that it's the same type of rock that melted to form the metal. The pictures didn't transfer over in full resolution so I'll have to figure out a solution, flip the brick and show you what I mean about that too. I could just be stupid as well

Unlikely. Bricks are made of clay. Chances are, one side was inside the furnace getting a slagg coating, perhaps with some metal.
The other sides look different because they were not in direct contact with the heat and what ever materials they smelted/melted.

I've done some primitive smelting of iron ore.