Gorget???

[darkwaterdivr]

I picked up something on a recent trip, and I was hoping to get some of y’all’s thoughts as to what it might be; if its anything at all. The holes appear to be of a matching size, and they're located along on a surprisingly level plane. The slight curvature on the one side seems to be deliberate due to the appearance of being finished all of the way across on the smooth, flat side. My initial thought was maybe it was some type of unfinished gorget or something along those lines, but because of the overall size and shape, I honestly don’t know. These cell phone pics don’t really do it a whole lot of justice because it looks much nicer in person than it does in these images. The material is slate, and it is 7.5" L X 4.5" H on the straight sides. Thanks in advance for your opinions.












This pic is of the corner where it looks like curve was finished across the rock, but not yet worked off on the opposite side.

 

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[Treasure_Hunter]

Sure looks like it was drilled on to be a gorget.

 

[choo]

Yeah that's a gorget real nice find!

 

[redbeardrelics]

I don't know for sure, but we find very similar slate items up my way drilled like that, and we assume they are slate roof shingles or pieces there of. I would expect most slate gorget or pendants to usually be smoothed on the edges originally.

 

[creekhunter]

Yeah Old Slate Shingle.

 

[darkwaterdivr]

I don't know for sure, but we find very similar slate items up my way drilled like that, and we assume they are slate roof shingles or pieces there of. I would expect most slate gorget or pendants to usually be smoothed on the edges originally.

That's definitely something that I haven't thought of. Are the holes in those slate tiles that you find drilled by bits , or do they have a taper to them from one side to the other? Do they have any kind of standard hole spacing that you've noticed?

The two holes are what triggered the initial gorget thought, but the overall size and shape is what got me questioning gorget in the first place. To me trying to imagine a finished gorget (from the known examples that I have seen), it looks like any kind of symmetry on a final product would be hard to accomplish given the location of the holes in relation to the current shape of this piece if that makes any sense. Being slate, I know it wouldn't have ever been intended to be a weapon of any sorts, and you can't tell it at all in the pictures, but the curved side has an slight, almost blade like taper and edge to it. It also has what looks to be scrape marks along that edge where someone was purposefully grinding that taper on there. It could be pure coincendence, but everyone that I've shown it to has commented on that particular edge.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Slate shingle, not a Gorget or even an artifact.

 

[Tnmountains]

Most drill holes will be from each side and meet in the middle.

 

[CaptEsteban]

Looks like a slate roofing shingle to me, too. I installed many of them when younger . The holes in slate are " pecked, " with a special hammer, not drilled. Watch the short video & see the roofer pecks some holes.