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All Forums >> [Bottle Forums] >> Unexpected Discoveries >> Unknown artifact?

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Unknown artifact? - 2/11/2007 2:26:52 PM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline Hey all you artifact experts out there.  I found this item in the Conn River last year. It appears to be ground, carved out of "brownstone" and is hand drilled through the center of it.  The object weighs approx 15 lbs, is football shaped.  I have no clue what it may be, but I thought I'd bring it up anyway... I thought it could be some kind of fishing net weight... small anchor... something nautical... Anyone ever seen something like this before? Wayne Attachment (1) < Message edited by southern Maine diver -- 2/11/2007 2:41:07 PM > Post #: 1

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/11/2007 2:34:23 PM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline I have no idea what just happened, so I'll blame it on my shoulder surgery and pain meds... Here we go again... Attachment (1) (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 2

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/11/2007 2:35:57 PM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline Hold on gang... don't know what I'm doing wrong here... Wayne Attachment (1) < Message edited by southern Maine diver -- 2/11/2007 2:39:14 PM > (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 3

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/11/2007 2:45:39 PM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline Ok... my wife Pam helped me out big time here... try this one Attachment (1) (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 4

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/11/2007 2:47:33 PM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline sorry for the duplication... I'm just coming out of the anesthesia... Attachment (1) (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 5

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/11/2007 3:28:19 PM    trussin   Posts: 156 Joined: 5/5/2005 Status: offline my guess is plumet.  Joe B in NJ (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 6

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/11/2007 3:34:26 PM    trussin   Posts: 156 Joined: 5/5/2005 Status: offline ok I meant bannerstone. http://www.stevewalkerartifacts.com/bannerstones.htm (in reply to trussin) Post #: 7

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/11/2007 11:33:09 PM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline Trussin... Hey, Joe... thanks for your input... I had no idea what a plummet or bannerstone was until now!  I wish this thing I have was a bannerstone, but I think it's a bit large. This thing weighs about 15 pounds, looks like a small football, hand drilled all the way through, Conn River outside of Hartford, Conn  Brownstone for sure... not polished, kind of crude... some kind of crude grinding stone??? hell, I don't know.  I guess I'm gonna have to drag it around with me until I run into somebody that can tell me what it is, but it doesn't fit in my pocket. Caldigr2 might have a suggestion... any ideas about this Mike? Wayne < Message edited by southern Maine diver -- 2/11/2007 11:35:37 PM > (in reply to trussin) Post #: 8

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/12/2007 12:02:25 AM    Trying not to break it Posts: 2308 Joined: 12/18/2004 From: balt. md. Status: offline hi wayne,  so glad to see you posting on the forum again.   hope you are feeling better.  neat object what ever it is.   hope you find out.   rhona (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 9

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/12/2007 12:17:26 AM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline Hey Rhona... Nice to hear from you and thank you for keeping up with my progress and for the warm welcome back.  I'm still real sore, just got the bandages off so I'm healing up pretty well. I start my physical therapy on Monday (today) morning, so I'll know more about my progress after the next couple of weeks. I was hoping to get down to the Baltimore area on a diving job site, but that didn't work out. The timing conflicted with my surgery so another diver was sent down... bummer. I was looking froward to meeting you and doing some dives in the local bottle infested waters! I'm thinking about making a southern road trip this spring, so depending on my cash flow, I still might be able to fenagle a trip down your way. Thanks for taking the time out to chat, good talking with you. Wayne (in reply to Trying not to break it) Post #: 10

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/12/2007 12:28:10 AM    California Dream N   Posts: 187 Joined: 12/28/2006 Status: offline I agree that Mike is going to be the authority on this... but I want to guess. Since it is so heavy.. I think a boat, canoe anchor or one heavy fish net weight?? Okay caldigr2 what is it really?? LOL (in reply to Trying not to break it) Post #: 11

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/12/2007 12:36:43 AM    CALDIGR2   Posts: 528 Joined: 6/20/2005 Status: offline Canoe anchor. They are found in waterways where abos set up their nets to catch migratory fish, and had to remain stationary while doing so. On the West Coast they are found in the river systems of CA, OR, and WA. Boat anchors are nothing new, they've just developed over the centuries. _____________________________ Mike Dig no privy before it's time. (in reply to California Dream N) Post #: 12

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/12/2007 12:40:19 AM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline Hey Norene... Thanks for chiming in with your thoughts on this.  I too, thought it might have been something nautical... canoe anchor weight... fishing net weight... I have no clue.  That's why I threw it up on to the forum. I bring back anything unusual that I find underwater... never know when you might hit the "jackpot" Thanks for lookin, Wayne (in reply to California Dream N) Post #: 13

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/12/2007 12:53:02 AM    southern Maine diver Posts: 1436 Joined: 8/13/2005 From: South Berwick, Maine USA Status: offline Caldigr2... Hi Mike.  I must have been posting to Norene when you were sending your reply.  Thanks for the info. It seems logical that a round, smooth stone would be preferrable to something with sharp edges, jagged so it would not damage the thin hull of the canoe?  Have you ever seen any like this or do you know where I could find any other photos of something similar?  How would an age/time frame be established for something like this? I know... lots of questions and not enough time...  I just think back on all the things I must have passed over because they were not "glass"... I have been so totally focussed on bottles.  I am definitely taking more time to examine other things underwater.  I recently found a handfull of coins in an area I have been working and one turned out to be a large cent from Massachusettes, dated 1787... it was pretty chewed up, but still, it was so thrilling to hold something that was in existance when our country was in its' infancy... George Washington was still alive... and no one had touched that coin for over two hundred years!!!! can you imagine???  it sent goosebumps up & down my spine... This hobby is so terrific... it winds and turns down all kinds of pathways. I never know what I'm going to turn up next.  Thanks for your input, I sure appreciate your thoughts on this. Wayne  < Message edited by southern Maine diver -- 2/12/2007 12:54:35 AM > (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 14

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/12/2007 6:35:34 AM    epgorge Posts: 2422 Joined: 12/29/2006 Status: offline I thought it was a cave man's attachment for a dremel. Ep (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 15

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/12/2007 10:52:31 AM    JustGlass   Posts: 391 Joined: 7/22/2005 From: Green Mountains of Vermont Status: offline My guess would be a net sinker although maybe to large at that. I would say its to large for a banner stone. Could possibly be a anchor, but could a 15 lb. stone hold a canoe on the Conn. river? I m sure its man made and not a freak of mother nature thing because the hole is drilled just like the holes you see in a indian pendant. I would say its probably historic or prehistoric. And until I was shown different I always lean towards prehistoric when the artifact is made of stone. By the way Ive looked a few cornfields along the Conn. river some in NH. and some in Vt. and Ive yet to find a artifact. The books say they are there but its a hit and miss thing and Ive missed. Maybe the indians threw all the good stuff in the river. Nice find! < Message edited by JustGlass -- 2/12/2007 10:58:13 AM > (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 16

RE: Unknown artifact? - 2/26/2007 9:16:00 PM    Digger George   Posts: 316 Joined: 10/5/2006 From: PHILAD'A PA Status: offline WOW Wayne I've never seen a Native American artifact like that! We really can only speculate. I would say an anchor but the amount of work that went into that anchor is ridiculous! It is definately an ancient artifact. I would take it to a local Native museum and see what they say. They may want it but it's yours and they can't have it. Keep diving that area of the river! (in reply to JustGlass) Post #: 17

RE: Unknown artifact? - 3/21/2007 7:50:10 PM    Bottleman Posts: 851 Joined: 9/3/2004 From: Central Pennsylvania Status: offline My first though was a fishing net weight but it's just a guess. (in reply to southern Maine diver) Post #: 18

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