Pestle or Geofact?

[diggummup]

What do you think? Found at an estate sale. It's 6 inches long.





fat end




Narrow end

 

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[GaRebel1861]

From the pictures that you've posted, it looks like a pedestal to me and a nice one too.

 

[diggummup]

That's what I thought when I purchased it, couldn't beat the price, it was only $1, part of a group of other things I bought there. Just don't know what region this may have come from. Looks like quartz or maybe even calcite. But I don't know.

 

[Get-the-point]

Looks like it may be a reproduction........JMO.............GTP(Chris)

 

[Chisos]

What a unique and beautiful find and for only $1. It looks like quartz and it looks to be extremely hard and well used. I vote for pestle. Really nice find.

 

[diggummup]

Looks like it may be a reproduction........JMO.............GTP(Chris)

Not debating you because this isn't my field, but could you give a little detail as to why you think this? Just looking for knowledge. Maybe Tnmountains could chime in, since it appears he thinks the same thing.

 

[Get-the-point]

Sure Dig. The business end shows mineralization that is inclusive. Meaning they are in the pores of the stone. The extreme bottom is flat and inconsistent with known examples as most pestles have a rounded tip. Then you have roller pestles and mano's. Mano's are usually a round cobble stone with a beautifully ground flat surface and used with a metate. A roller pestle will show a flat surface down the length of the pestle and used with a metate and a mortar. They are uniform in size meaning they are the same size down the whole length of the pestle. The pestle you have there would be used with a mortar and with that should have a rounded business end. Even if it was not used it would still have a rounded tip. The surrounding area of the tip looks to be sanded as well as the poll end. Mineralization will be on the surface and in the pores of the tool. The orange staining on the business end is also a tell-tale sign of chemical altering to make it look real. I hope this helps......... a few others will chime in as well to explain further if need be. The business end as I said should be rounded not flat like that as a mortar is a bowl with a rounded cup bottom to concentrate the crushed items for further concentrated pounding to crush the item into a powder. If it was flat they would have to move the substance towards the middle and repeat. That is why the mortar is cupped to eliminate that process. Hope this helps and the explanation made sense..................GTP(Chris)

 

[diggummup]

Sure Dig. The business end shows mineralization that is inclusive. Meaning they are in the pores of the stone. The extreme bottom is flat and inconsistent with known examples as most pestles have a rounded tip. Then you have roller pestles and mano's. Mano's are usually a round cobble stone with a beautifully ground flat surface and used with a metate. A roller pestle will show a flat surface down the length of the pestle and used with a metate and a mortar. They are uniform in size meaning they are the same size down the whole length of the pestle. The pestle you have there would be used with a mortar and with that should have a rounded business end. Even if it was not used it would still have a rounded tip. The surrounding area of the tip looks to be sanded as well as the poll end. Mineralization will be on the surface and in the pores of the tool. The orange staining on the business end is also a tell-tale sign of chemical altering to make it look real. I hope this helps......... a few others will chime in as well to explain further if need be. The business end as I said should be rounded not flat like that as a mortar is a bowl with a rounded cup bottom to concentrate the crushed items for further concentrated pounding to crush the item into a powder. If it was flat they would have to move the substance towards the middle and repeat. That is why the mortar is cupped to eliminate that process. Hope this helps and the explanation made sense..................GTP(Chris)

Thank you for the detailed explanation. What you have said makes complete sense and I appreciate your response. I guess people will fake anything nowadays. Ridiculous.