Odd Shapes - what are they?
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The Grim Reaper
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They all look like natural eroded pieces to me. Being pounded by the surf will do that.
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scepter1
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No pounding "Surf" anywhere around here, protected waters.
Because of the 13,000 years of constantly rising seas here, there are very few artifact sites. I've walked these beaches for 60 years, and only have found these where other artifacts are found. Basalt makes up about 80% of the artifacts that are found, with other materials like obsidian, agatized and opalized wood, agates specific to other areas like Oregon, the Columbia River, etc all brought in.
BTW, none these of materials naturally have a square breakage pattern. nor break with flat surfaces. And "surf' mostly rounds objects, not squares them - the surrounding natural beach rocks are rounded, pea-sized pebbles.
Because of the 13,000 years of constantly rising seas here, there are very few artifact sites. I've walked these beaches for 60 years, and only have found these where other artifacts are found. Basalt makes up about 80% of the artifacts that are found, with other materials like obsidian, agatized and opalized wood, agates specific to other areas like Oregon, the Columbia River, etc all brought in.
BTW, none these of materials naturally have a square breakage pattern. nor break with flat surfaces. And "surf' mostly rounds objects, not squares them - the surrounding natural beach rocks are rounded, pea-sized pebbles.
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Charl
Silver Member
I'm in agreement with Grim. Those appear to all be natural rocks. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but they do not look like anything but natural pebbles.....
unclemac
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...well, i'll tell ya....I walk some of those same beaches and find a lot of really nice stones in some great colors. When I look at your rocks I can't help but notice that the edges and corners are not sharp but rounded and smooth, I assume from beach wear. I do find those same shapes in a lot of different stone types, but not the agate or jasper, they round out not square up.
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scepter1
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Exactly unclemac, Exactly.
They are agates and jaspers that have been squared. They have been on a beach for a thousand years, and they show the water worn effects of being abraded by sand and pebbles. Anyone ever hear of a rock tumbler to polish agate and jasper type material? Same exact thing. I've been tumbling agates, both agatized and opalized (petrified) wood, and jaspers, almost constantly for 40+ years. Agates and jaspers and anything else always come out rounded and smoothed. NEVER do they become squared !
So what are they / what were they used for?
They are agates and jaspers that have been squared. They have been on a beach for a thousand years, and they show the water worn effects of being abraded by sand and pebbles. Anyone ever hear of a rock tumbler to polish agate and jasper type material? Same exact thing. I've been tumbling agates, both agatized and opalized (petrified) wood, and jaspers, almost constantly for 40+ years. Agates and jaspers and anything else always come out rounded and smoothed. NEVER do they become squared !
So what are they / what were they used for?
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Charl
Silver Member
They are clearly water worn natural rocks. They were not used for anything. The water produced some wear/erosion, but it was a natural square cobble/pebble beforehand, before any water erosion took place in other words. None of those rocks were ever artifacts. It's not accurate to say jasper cobbles/ pebbles can never weather into a shape other then round. That is simply not true at all. The rocks had a history of millions of years BEFORE they ever ended up being in a tidal zone. You can't ignore that fundamental fact.
All of those rocks were once part of geological formations thousands of feet thick. They had a long history of millions of years to end up as a cobble on the beach when it was originally part of a massive thick formation of rock. Would you expect a granite mountain, when eroded, to end up as pebbles only of a certain shape, and only a certain shape? Those are rocks, not artifacts. Nobody shaped them. Every pebble/cobble has millions of years of history shaping it, not just what the tides may have done in it's most recent history.
Here is a glacial cobble of jasper. Originating from an outcrop several miles north of the shore of the bay where it was found. Dropped out of the glacier as it melted north. Nobody shaped it, it has wear from being on an active shore in the tidal zone, but it did not end up round.......
All of those rocks were once part of geological formations thousands of feet thick. They had a long history of millions of years to end up as a cobble on the beach when it was originally part of a massive thick formation of rock. Would you expect a granite mountain, when eroded, to end up as pebbles only of a certain shape, and only a certain shape? Those are rocks, not artifacts. Nobody shaped them. Every pebble/cobble has millions of years of history shaping it, not just what the tides may have done in it's most recent history.
Here is a glacial cobble of jasper. Originating from an outcrop several miles north of the shore of the bay where it was found. Dropped out of the glacier as it melted north. Nobody shaped it, it has wear from being on an active shore in the tidal zone, but it did not end up round.......
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reuellis
Sr. Member
that's funny!
unclemac
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you made me laugh right there.
Charl
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scepter1
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When I arrived at this beach, I realized every cobble there was actually a water worn artifact. Jackpot!! I'm going to need help, going to take awhile to get them all
Charl, I totally agree with that part of your statement about needing help - not being able to discern shapes is a sign of dyslexia. In order to help you, point out any agate or jasper rock of your choice in your photo that you think resembles a cube shape & we'll discuss.
If you are having problems figuring out what a water worn agate or jasper cube looks like, refer to the example below:
You obviously need help in identifying beach agates and jaspers, and lack knowledge about their cleavage, hardness, or breakage patterns.
unclemac
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rocks with corners do seem to get knocked into round shapes that much is pretty true....but here you go...jasper cubes!
https://www.google.com/search?q=cub...loGIDA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q=jasper+cube
https://www.google.com/search?q=cub...loGIDA&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ#tbm=isch&q=jasper+cube
unclemac
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scepter1
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"Originally Posted by unclemac
lookie what i just found...
Ellensburg Blue Agate | crystals and gems | Pinterest"
Crap. I'm going to have to start watermarking my photos I guess. Last week an internet friend emailed me a link with some sunset photos, asking me if I lived anywhere near where the photos were taken. And 3 of 4 photos were mine!
lookie what i just found...
Ellensburg Blue Agate | crystals and gems | Pinterest"
Crap. I'm going to have to start watermarking my photos I guess. Last week an internet friend emailed me a link with some sunset photos, asking me if I lived anywhere near where the photos were taken. And 3 of 4 photos were mine!
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