Rock/Stone ID to help a student

[jr.nation88]

One of my students brought in an interesting stone today hoping I could help her identify it. We are currently learning about geology and sometimes they believe I know it all...I told her I was not for sure but would know where to turn for help. Can you give me any leads? I've also posted this in the Geology forums because I was not sure if it might be in the geode family. I came across a few internet searches that had Native American 'gaming balls' that I thought were similar so thats why I posted here. Thanks in advance for the help, Nick.



This is only one half, she has the other half and is going to bring it in next week to class. The outside is extremely smooth except for some small bits. Seems a bit too smooth to be purely by erosion. This one half is also pretty heavy feeling for its side. The inside has no hollow spots but does contain some mineral deposits. Quite a few crystals of quartz and what appears to be hematite/iron because it has turned rusty brown.

 

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[GatorBoy]

I see you have eleven posts..have you posted this in the rocks and gems forum?

 

[theonlinefisherman]

Do it look knocked around, or rounded at all? Among other artifacts I collect hammerstones. They are identifiable if you know what to look for, and I have found them at a lot of sites worked for twenty years or more - sitting there with the flakes. If it had been covered by dirt there would have been deer tines alongside it . Kind of rock I cannot see it well enough to tell you. I would have to chip it to see for sure.

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[GatorBoy]

Hammer stones are great.

 

[jr.nation88]

yes i posted it in rocks/minerals/gems as well. I have posted here before as well, that is why you see 11 posts. I am going to get permission from the student to chip it a bit to get a fresh look and try to take some better pics in natural light. I'll post it all up after school on monday

 

[Twitch]

Of course ID'ing a piece over the internet via a couple of photo's is challenging to make a definitive call. The bottom (rounded face) looks like it could have a lot of use wear on it. The top (broken, missing piece) doesn't look like a classic break pattern to me. It's very possibly the bottom off of a bell-pedastle, which is basically a corn, grain, or nut processing tool. If you can get a person to look at it live who knows artifacts they should be able to make th ecall pretty easily. That being said it could also just be a rock. Just the fact that your student has the 'other half' makes me lean more toward it being an artifact and not just a rock. Do you have any information, general or specific, on where/how it was found?

Good luck,
Joe

 

[ridgecrawler]

I agree, the working end of a pestle and is a good artifact. it would be better unbroken.

 

[jr.nation88]

i will have more information tomorrow after I talk with the student and hopefully she brings in the other half. She did tell me her brother hoped it was a geode because he had seen them in a book, that is why he cracked it open