🔎 UNIDENTIFIED So whatcha think? 17th C. or not?

[DownEast_Detecting]

Found this on a supah drainah low tide bub. I almost threw it away, but put it in my fishing/lead stuff.

So then i perusing my local museum at Colonial pemaquid. One of the oldest sites in my State. And I see this and im like wait a sec that looks awful familiar. So i took some shots of it and went back and fished mine out of my collection. (nudge nudge wink wink...lol) So did i find a fishing weight from the 1600's?. They are the same exact size, and looked to be made the same way. If mine is not, how did this archeologist decide that this one was from the 17th century?

Also found these in the same mud flat area but wrote them all off as modern-ish? any ideas on these? can anyone date fishing lures?

 

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[Blackfoot58]

I’d say your lead piece matches up nicely with the example piece. Good find! I don’t know much on the lures. Good luck

 

[Doubter in MD]

Nice find. Thanks for sharing it with us. I don't know anything about the history or evolution of sinkers, (not lures) but yours looks pretty similar to the one from the museum.

 

[Whynotnow?]

With homemade sinkers, in my experience its pretty much impossible to determine when they were made. Yours could be old, or someone could have folded up and used it in the 50's cause they didn't want to go to the store and buy a weight. I am also very curious how they determined the museums example is from the 17th century, unless it came out of the personal belongings of someone from that time frame. Yours all look pretty old though.

 

[ARC]

You must also look at the possibility of it being an anode.

 

[DownEast_Detecting]

I’d say your lead piece matches up nicely with the example piece. Good find! I don’t know much on the lures. Good luck

thanks blackfoot

Nice find. Thanks for sharing it with us. I don't know anything about the history or evolution of sinkers, (not lures) but yours looks pretty similar to the on from the museum.

thanks. i agree.

With homemade sinkers, in my experience its pretty much impossible to determine when they were made. Yours could be old, or someone could have folded up and used it in the 50's cause they didn't want to go to the store and buy a weight. I am also very curious how they determined the museums example is from the 17th century, unless it came out of the personal belongings of someone from that time frame. Yours all look pretty old though.

Thats what i was thinking. how could you ever tell right. I just know when i saw that in the museum. My mind flashed back to this find. They are almost identical, same size, both lead, same fold up construction method, and a hole at either end. Im not sure how they found the one in the museum. But im assuming they dug it up during one of the many archeological digs at Colonial Pemaquid and Fort William Henry.( There were 3 different forts built on the same site with different names. They got sacked by Indians and the french once, The English later. Also the first pirate to raid new England waters Dixie Bull came into the harbor cannons blazing with 3 ships. raided the warehouse and burnt the town. so much early history happened here. Including what many believe was the first paved road in America. Historians argue about what the heck it was for. Some think it was used to dry cod.) So im assuming if they found the sinker in situ with other artifacts from the period. Thats how they dated it.

You must also look at the possibility of it being an anode.

Im fairly certain its a sinker for a fishing line. But i could be wrong, can you show me some photos of what you think it is. Im having a hard time picturing(hehe) it.

 

[ARC]

thanks blackfoot

thanks. i agree.

Thats what i was thinking. how could you ever tell right. I just know when i saw that in the museum. My mind flashed back to this find. They are almost identical, same size, both lead, same fold up construction method, and a hole at either end. Im not sure how they found the one in the museum. But im assuming they dug it up during one of the many archeological digs at Colonial Pemaquid and Fort William Henry.( There were 3 different forts built on the same site with different names. They got sacked by Indians and the french once, The English later. Also the first pirate to raid new England waters Dixie Bull came into the harbor cannons blazing with 3 ships. raided the warehouse and burnt the town. so much early history happened here. Including what many believe was the first paved road in America. Historians argue about what the heck it was for. Some think it was used to dry cod.) So im assuming if they found the sinker in situ with other artifacts from the period. Thats how they dated it.

Im fairly certain its a sinker for a fishing line. But i could be wrong, can you show me some photos of what you think it is. Im having a hard time picturing(hehe) it.

 

[DownEast_Detecting]

View attachment 2097019View attachment 2097020

Aren't anodes mostly made of zinc or aluminum? And I dont think they fold metals over like that to make them. I would assume they are made by either a cast or pour. Mine is 100% lead for sure. Im almost positive mine is a fishing weight. Im just not positive on how old it is.