Native American artifact

[sms28]

Found at a ruin on a ranch and we aren’t sure what it would have been used for. It’s about 2 inches in diameter with a whole in the center. It’s made out of pourus volcanic stone with the edges rounded and smooth and the two faces are smooth.

 

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[Plug N Play]

A standard method of shell and stone bead-making was to drill the flat pieces first.
The stones would then be strung together, all jagged and uneven.

Your area is known for the use of the flatter metates and mano stones for grinding. (most of No. Amer. used the mortar bowl and pestle)
Those flat metates are perfect for rolling a string of uneven bead stones. (shells too)

The result is a string of evenly matched circular beads.
Individually, these would show much grinding and smoothing around the edges ... if you think of a string of beads such as this, it's only the edges that are going to show, the sides are hidden, and only need to be flat to mesh with the next bead.

This method produced round, matching beads, without any jagged edges that might catch or snag on things while dancing.

Your bead fits the style and stone of the area ... Hohokam was one of many groups using this style.

Nice find !

 

[sms28]

Awesome thank you I never knew that’s how they did it! I have found a lot of turquoise, shell, shale and clay beads but thats the first one of that kind I have found!

 

[Reanm8er]

Congrats sms!

What Plug N Play said. The Pueblo Native Americans of New Mexico, made Hieshe (Heshe) beads, from Mellon
shells they traded turquoise for. They came from the sea of Cortex off the West coast near the Cal/Mex border.
They first drilled the hole and then nibbled them round with their teeth. They, then, strung them and shaped then
with stone and polished them with strap leather. Original jewelry made in this fashion is highly coveted!

Theorized to be the earliest form of North American jewelry.

Best wishes!

 

[unclemac]

spindle whorl