can anyone ID this artifact?

[MDG1976]

hey, this could be a "non-firearm weapon" right?

it was found along a river bank a few years ago. it seems to be made from bone or maybe limestone. both ends look like they were sharp at some point in time. it weighs around 1.5 pounds.
thanks

 

[godsdog]

Looks like it could be a throwing stick or maybe a digging tool. Cool find !

 

[rcmodel]

Looks like a petrified antler prong off a deer or elk.

I suppose it could be a stone hide scraper or knife too.

rc

 

[Robert]

I would doubt it is limestone for a couple of reasons.
1. Limestone is a sedimentary rock, compressed silt really.
2. Being only compressed silt it is not all that hard and would crumble when trying to work it to an edge, or at best would flake off for a very uneven edge.
I would lean towards, bone, antler, flint or chert. To me the design strikes me more as a knife then a hide scrapper. Generally scrappers were of a broader, half moon shaped, edge and fit the entire palm of the hand. But then again I am no expert. Quick way to check if it is limestone is put a small drop of hydrochloric acid on it. If it fizzes then it is limestone. Rinse in water and the effects will not be seen.

 

[MDG1976]

I would lean towards, bone, antler, flint or chert

my first thought was bone or antler, but it's far too thick to be from a deer in MO. unless it's really, really old. and the weight makes me think it's stone.

 

[rcmodel]

Petrified or fossilized antler or bone IS limestone impregnated from the Silicate & calcium in the water that it soaked in for a long long time.

Here in Kansas it is not at all uncommon to find mastodon, bison, and other prehistoric petrified bones & antlers in river sandbars after a flood.

Often erosion from the flowing water & sand changes them into some odd shapes like yours over the centuries.

rc

 

[theotherwaldo]

That looks a lot like a hand pick with a shovel/scraper on the other end. You might want to have a pro look at it. It might just rewrite your local history books.

 

[rcmodel]

That's a very good suggestion.

Check with your state university Anthropology or Geology/Palaeontology department and they will be able to put an I.D. on it.

rc

 

[lesterg3]

Yeah, you need to get this in front of someone who knows the history of the area you found it in. Great find, lucky you!!

 

[Macmac]

I am into early American history and the tooling for it, and have never seen anything like that.

A very odd item indeed.

Roughly where was this found?

In West Point Nb I found a what i thought was porkypine chew antler untill I picked it up. When I did the other side was amber colored, and had striations in the amber part.

Locals told me it was 'Lightning' meaning lighting hit the sand and turned the sand into a glass like object.

I didn't buy that story and happened onto a real geologist shortly after at Ash Fall park. he knew right away it was 11,000,000 year old live oak, which has absorbed silica.

That concodial chip to me looks like this has absorbed some silica.. I don't believe limestone with make that sort of chip.

 

[messerist]

Be careful when you speak to anyone from the archaeology/paleontology fraternity. In many states, and on federal land it is illegal to pick up artifacts of any kind. Even items on private land may be illegal to pick up in some locales. A colleague I taught school with in Texas collected arrowheads and other items for years out near Ft Stockton and Alpine. When he retired he visited a local museum to see if they wanted to display his collection. They sure did....well it was no longer "his collection." They confiscated all that he had and issued a search warrant for his house, cabin and storage locker! A 40 year hobby almost got him time in the klink. Check your local laws and any applicable state and federal laws that pertain to antiquities and artifacts. Apart from my little shower on your parade, you may have a very unique artifact that most universities and colleges would be happy to identify for you and you never know, as mentioned earlier, you might have something historically significant. Good luck.

 

[05kas05]

you might want to post those pics on treasurenet.com there is a section on fossils and indian artifacts.scroll all the way down almost to the bottom and you will see it. there are alot of nice folks on that forum that might be able to identify it if no one here can.