✅ SOLVED In My Posession for 40 Years...

[tjdean01]

When I was a kid my parents built a house on a sand-ridge in the woods of Mid-Michigan (which, now that I think of it is odd considering there is no other sand in the area...). I would play in the sand as a kid and continually found this stone. Egg-shaped, oval, smooth, flat-bottomed hole, possible Indian artifact. Hmm. Whatever, as a kid, I just left it outside. I threw it around, used in in sand castles, etc. After several years it made its way into the house and I colored the bottom of the hole with a red crayon. I thought it was ruined but my dad "fixed" it by running hot water over it to melt away the crayon. The stone was lost again when my sister got ahold of it. I'd been looking for it for years until it recently turned up in the pot of a plant. All this time the stone was right in the same house outside of which it was found.

I've ruled out that it's an omarolluks or a "nutting stone." My thoughts: either an unfinished tobacco pipe (see this modern one I found on ebay) or else a "paint-pot." Either way, here it is. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

Thanks for reading my little story!

(Below are the same images, but larger in size)
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6935/img5597y.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/534/img5598gj.jpg
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/2356/img5600e.jpg
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3319/img5601f.jpg

 

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[Perseus]

Its a ink holder, Indian artifact...or unfinished little hummer tool.

 

[feidzd]

Very magic!

 

[Catobra]

Love the story and the rock-sorry have no clue what it is though : )

 

[releventchair]

stone says, howdy cousin? From mi.too. all ways thought they could be used as a socket to make a bow and drill for fire starting or of course for drilling.

 

[Mackaydon]

Portable Indian stone bowl mortar.
Don....

 

[frankendime]

Boomerang rock?

 

[timekiller]

When I was a kid my parents built a house on a sand-ridge in the woods of Mid-Michigan (which, now that I think of it is odd considering there is no other sand in the area...). I would play in the sand as a kid and continually found this stone. Egg-shaped, oval, smooth, flat-bottomed hole, possible Indian artifact. Hmm. Whatever, as a kid, I just left it outside. I threw it around, used in in sand castles, etc. After several years it made its way into the house and I colored the bottom of the hole with a red crayon. I thought it was ruined but my dad "fixed" it by running hot water over it to melt away the crayon. The stone was lost again when my sister got ahold of it. I'd been looking for it for years until it recently turned up in the pot of a plant. All this time the stone was right in the same house outside of which it was found.

I've ruled out that it's an omarolluks or a "nutting stone." My thoughts: either an unfinished tobacco pipe (see this modern one I found on ebay) or else a "paint-pot." Either way, here it is. I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts.

Thanks for reading my little story!

(Below are the same images, but larger in size)
http://img821.imageshack.us/img821/6935/img5597y.jpg
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/534/img5598gj.jpg
http://img688.imageshack.us/img688/2356/img5600e.jpg
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/3319/img5601f.jpg

With out a doubt in my mind it's a native american capstone for a bow drill.It would be held in your hand/palm much like you have it in the pic.For applying preasure.Your's is made out of hardstone much used by them in tool making.Many celts made from it etc.I've found couple just like it before made from same material (hardstone).
Take Care,
Pete,

 

[tjdean01]

With out a doubt in my mind it's a native american capstone for a bow drill.It would be held in your hand/palm much like you have it in the pic.For applying preasure.Your's is made out of hardstone much used by them in tool making.Many celts made from it etc.I've found couple just like it before made from same material (hardstone).

I like the definitive nature of your post. You're like, "Yep, that's definitely what it is!" How did they make the hole so it has a flat bottom like that. In use, are they twisting and applying pressure? Why is the hole not centered in the rock?

 

[timekiller]

I like the definitive nature of your post. You're like, "Yep, that's definitely what it is!" How did they make the hole so it has a flat bottom like that. In use, are they twisting and applying pressure? Why is the hole not centered in the rock?

The ones I've found were flaked out,in use it would be turned 180* in your hand were the index finger & middle finger would fit to either side of the hole/socket the other end faces your palm.It was used to hold the stick in place so you would not be burning your hand,as you worked the bow it would spin inside,the more preasure pushing down the more friction it made & the faster the embers would heat up.

 

[timekiller]

Forgot to mention above that once it was flaked like they wanted they would use bits of crushed rock/sand grit to smooth it.Between that & time in use would make the socket.

 

[Breezie]

Is there a river or creek nearby? Breezie

 

[Jarl]

So, wow...finally I know what this pile of rocks happen to be. Thought for a long time that they were artifacts but I could not place exactly what they were. I was bouncing between bow and drill sockets and mortar and pestle type devices. So they're nutting stones, anvil and cup stones...now I know, or at least have a much more plausible idea. I read that these are one of the most commonly found artifacts in the Midwest which is where I am. I found all of mine in and around sand near creek and rivers.

 

[releventchair]

In or near water a good place to find some stones with natural ( formed through time)detents in them, saves having to peck into stone,mine in picture needs to be smoothed still. Object to have friction on fireboard /drill bit not hand. Working to get hot dust and eventually a tiny glowing bit of it for next step.

 

[tjdean01]

Thanks for all the contributions, guys. This thread has been very fun and important for me. I'm completely convinced this is a capstone for a bow and drill. It's the only explanation that fits its shape. When I have time I might do some more artifact hunting out at my mom's house. Problem is, half of the sand is now covered by black dirt and grass

 

[tjdean01]

I'm the original poster. Images have disappeared, but I'll repost them here. I still think this is the best sample of a capstone that I've seen. Nothing online is shaped as nicely with such a flat bottom. If someone showed me this I would be convinced that this was made by modern power tools. However, I found it in the woods where my parents built a new house. It was preserved in sand (the house was built on top of a sand ridge). There is no way that some one would have made such a stone and placed it where I found it!