Odd Stone What's-It

[Owen]

So at a local sale last week I spot this little Boyds Jar in a box lot.I buy the box lot and head home to sort out my treasure. Usual junk, and mouse nest and trash.Then I find this bit of stone, or some sort of slate? Hard yet soft... I can scrape some off with my knife. Looks almost stone tool like, yet the thing measures out too evenly about 4 7/8 long, x 2 x 2 3/8 and 1/2 inch thick at thickest point. Hole through it is uneven, and looks worn through, and is tapered in from each side.Has me stumped.... Anyone have a clue? Know what it is? Want to make a wild guess?

 

[cowseatmaize]

I'll choose option 3. A ballast stone for a lamp or clock or something.

 

[Plumbata]

That would be a Native American slate Gorget/pendant. The hole would have been drilled with either a stone bit, or a length of reed or wood with sand applied at the tip to provide the abrasive action. Considering it's ancient origins and general rarity, scraping the artifact with a knife is not recommended! It is superior by leaps and bounds to the Boyd's jar which prompted the purchase of the lot. Whereabouts in the country did you obtain the box lot?

 

[2find4me]

Nice jar, that stone piece is interesting.

 

[Owen]

Thanks Plumbata for the thoughts. The box lot was found in southern central Michigan area. Please dont worry, I did not get carried away with scraping on it... my work was virtually microscopic and unobservable. I only did it after measuring it. I did not think it possible for it to be very old as the measurements on it are almost right on modern day inches.

 

[cobaltbot]

Very nice the gorget is a real treasure.

 

[sandchip]

I'd say pendant over gorget with one hole towards one end. Gorgets normally have two or more holes. Yours was drilled with a stone bit. You done good, for sure. Never found a whole one of either.

 

[cowseatmaize]

Is it slate, soapstone or something else? I was thinking soapstone.[8|]

 

[Owen]

I am thinking slate, as on the one end I can see what look to be layers... and I have handled soapstone before, and this does not feel right for that...but I am no geologist for sure.

 

[LisaTammy]

Hmmmm there are a lot of conflicting laws on buying selling digging etc. Native American Artifacts in Michigan. If the hole goes all the way through it could be a pendant but thousands of reproductions are out there. You could have it authenticated, but if its real they just may keep it for a museum or return it to the tribe it came from. I would read up on our laws before making many moves.