Unfinished Marbles, maybe

[dognose]

I have been working on some relics and came across these in a frame. They appear to be unfinished marbles. I have found 15 marbles on Native American sites. 14 old clay and 1 made of shell tempered pottery material. These two where in a frame with some other points. I can't tell if these are old clay discolored or a polished and mineralized flint.

The photos don't do them justice. Its easier to see the smoother surfaces under good light in person.

I don't think I have seen unfinished before.

Marble #1 some smother areas marked

rolling it around

Marble #2 - some flat areas on the surface

 

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[ToddsPoint]

I’ve found off white clay looking balls similar to yours. Mine were more perfect compared to yours. A friend is a bottle collector and he thought they came from old bottles. Look up “cod stopper bottles”. I’m not saying that’s what yours are, but these balls are out there. Mine were found on old house sites. Kids broke the bottles to get the marbles.

 

[dognose]

I don't recall finding any early historic glass, bricks or crockery on these sites.

There are two sites I hunt that were old homestead sites with very old bricks, crockery and items, but no marbles found there.

Do you have a better view of the marble in the bottle?
What was the purpose of the marble in the bottle? To add fizz when opened like a Guinness with the widget but no nitrogen?

 

[ToddsPoint]

I don't recall finding any early historic glass, bricks or crockery on these sites.

There are two sites I hunt that were old homestead sites with very old bricks, crockery and items, but no marbles found there.

Do you have a better view of the marble in the bottle?
What was the purpose of the marble in the bottle? To add fizz when opened like a Guinness with the widget but no nitrogen?

The marble was pushed to the top by the pressure of the carbonated drink and acted as a seal. To “open” the drink, you smacked the top of the bottle where the ball was exposed. It made a pop sound when the ball fell into a chamber and broke the seal. That’s where the term pop bottle came from. Pop bottle became “bottle of pop” eventually. I have some of those balls somewhere in a box around here stashed away. I’ll see if I can dig them out.

 

[Oldrvrrat57]

Was there any train tracks nearby? I have found similar rounded stones near tracks, rocks get caught in the train wheels and by turning of the wheel it gets rounded and eventually falls out! Just a thought

 

[dognose]

No, no train tracks for miles from the site found the marbles at.