Mystery Hardstone Artifact?

[romeo-1]

A section of field that hadn’t been plowed in about 10 years at my favorite native site had been plowed this past weekend so I played hookey from work and did the deed. I need a little more rain to really make it productive but I did find several rough quartz pieces including one nice little quartz point. The find of the day for me is the hardstone piece which looks to have been manufactured but I have no idea what it is or what it could have been used for…if anything.

If anyone has an opinion or idea on the nature of this piece I would greatly appreciate hearing it. Pics from all angles:

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[birdpointgriswold]

petrified bar of soap? Haha looks neat I would guess some sort of grinding tool. Thanks for sharing!

Johnathan Griswold

 

[Hippy]

I dont believe there's a mystery to it. I'm pretty sure it's just a rock. It looks to be naturally formed in that manner.

Hippy

 

[romeo-1]

I don't think so Hippy...it's not clear in the pictures but there is some very definite grind wear on the lower corners of each bias. I'm pretty sure that it has been worked. Some others have possibly identified it as a grinding stone or mano...I know little of this type of artifact so I'm doing my research in that direction.

 

[GatorBoy]

I think I can see from the picture a lot of lengtways abrasions. I'm not at home now that I have several. myself and others in my area refer to them as sanding blocks.

 

[SOHIO]

could have been used for a number of things like hide stretching etc some pcs we can only guess the use but not everything that doesn't have a classification doesn't mean it wasn't implicated. Sometimes pictures don't show use, and everyone likes to tell people they have only rocks and some are pretty sure of themselves.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

could have been used for a number of things like hide stretching etc some pcs we can only guess the use but not everything that doesn't have a classification doesn't mean it wasn't implicated. Sometimes pictures don't show use, and everyone likes to tell people they have only rocks and some are pretty sure of themselves.

I'm sure that comment was meant for me and I'm really sure that is just a natural rock formation. Sorry romeo, but I just don't see anything in your pictures that would lead me to believe otherwise.

 

[SOHIO]

steve i didn't direct that towards you at all it was just in general

 

[GatorBoy]

maybe there is a cobblestone road way going through there at 1 time

 

[taggedyou]

I like to put items like that into the area it was found, hunting camp, lodge, field mound, no other stone of that type. I try to put it all into the context of what I found. Some of mine would just be rocks if it was not for where and what other items where found with it. Makes since to me.
John

 

[romeo-1]

Thanks for the responses everyone...I work at a university and will take it to the geology department for another opinion...I'll post when I hear.

 

[pickaway]

Definateley pre clovis

 

[romeo-1]

Definateley pre clovis

Thanks for the help!

 

[romeo-1]

I just got back from the geology department and the opinion of the professor is that it is not naturally shaped. Without giving him any background information he said it appeared to be ground for an unknown use but most certainly ground. He measured the "top" and "bottom" flats and they are almost exactly the same width and lenght. We took it to the anthropology department but the professors there were not in. I'll try again tomorrow and see if I can track one down...stay tuned!

 

[Hot zone]

Camp rock. Found in camp, looks to be slightly used, may have seen some use and possibly brought there for an unknown purpose. Most camps are full of camp rock. When excavating for artifacts I would stack up the best examples of cobble choppers, crude pestils and such. It gave the weekend surface hunter something to take home. You are happy with it and willing to do some research and that is what counts.

 

[SOHIO]

I just got back from the geology department and the opinion of the professor is that it is not naturally shaped. Without giving him any background information he said it appeared to be ground for an unknown use but most certainly ground. He measured the "top" and "bottom" flats and they are almost exactly the same width and lenght. We took it to the anthropology department but the professors there were not in. I'll try again tomorrow and see if I can track one down...stay tuned!

cool

 

[trevmma]

u need to take it to a arch proffeser, but i would say just natural. sorry to break it to u. the reason i say this is my wife is a geologist and knows nothing about artifact, lol. if it was used for grinding it would be pretty smooth and from pics it looks like its pitted and a little ruff. if it was in a field its possible they used it but id say no just a natural rock.