✅ SOLVED Large Lead ball with hole from 18thc site

[mangum]

Hello all. A little background on this- this was found in North Central North Carolina in a field that produced a handful if 18th century items today. I have seen similar net weights but keep in mind this is a long way from the ocean or any large body of water. Any help from you experts is always appreciated! Thanks for looking & HH!

 

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[Breezie]

I know you said you're not near water, but it does look like a net weight to me. Does the hole go all the way through the ball? Check out this post:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/142640-lead-ball-hole.html
Breezie

 

[mangum]

I know you said you're not near water, but it does look like a net weight to me. Does the hole go all the way through the ball? Check out this post:
http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/what/142640-lead-ball-hole.html
Breezie

The hole does go all the way through. Seems like this is what it is...

 

[JOHUNT]

Maybe a small Atlatl or dart weight. There's no telling the number of purposes it could've served.

 

[rock]

You can try to put in the NA artifacts page to see what they think. But I dont think it is a atlatl weight.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Did the native americans use Lead?!! This is for certain a fishing net weight. I've dug dozens of them at my colonial sites here, and others find them frequently in the northeastern US at colonial coastal sites there too.

 

[aquachigger]

Keep in mind that lead had many uses other than fishing weights and musket balls. I've found many of these in England and they always identify them as spindle whorls or loom weights. Finding them on colonial homesites is consistent with such use. Here is a link to the UK Finds Database showing similar objects.

UK Finds Database - - - UKDFD

 

[rogerconley]

Could very well be a cast net sinker....

 

[mangum]

The fishing net weight or some sort of weight seems to be it. Thanks to everyone for the input.

 

[BuckleBoy]

Keep in mind that lead had many uses other than fishing weights and musket balls. I've found many of these in England and they always identify them as spindle whorls or loom weights. Finding them on colonial homesites is consistent with such use. Here is a link to the UK Finds Database showing similar objects.

UK Finds Database - - - UKDFD

I am aware of the spindle whorl ID. I dug one of those (gilded lead/pewter mix) many years ago. Aren't the whorls bigger than marble sized? Perhaps my memory is foggy on this. Just trying to sort it out.