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Stone Artifact? 2 found in East Tennessee

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  • Stone Artifact? 2 found in East Tennessee

    I need help identifying what this artifact is. I found it in SE Tennessee so it was possibly made by a Cherokee.

    This artifact is perfectly smooth, like it was polished. Even the edges have been rounded smooth.
    This makes me think it was not intended to be a tool. Usually stone tools have chip marks, but this has none.

    I don't believe someone would spend tremendous amounts of time, or energy, hand polishing a rock this smooth
    if they were going to whack something with it.

    I have a friend who also found one of these, approx. 7 miles from where I found mine.
    His is exactly the same size and shape, polished very smooth, except his is solid black and mine is grayish white.

    He thinks his was used in some kind of ceremonial or shaman dance.

    I would really appreciate it if anyone could give insight as to what this is, what it was used for and how old it might be.

  • #2
    sorry but i think thats what we call a Geofact, otherwise known as a naturally formed stone that just happens to look like something. keep up the search though!
    call me Jay, i live in R.I.

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    • #3
      Welcome from another east Tn collector!

      Were are you and your friend finding these polished stones? Not site specific just type of area hunting like; creek, field, rock shelter etc...

      In or around a creek is were I would think what you found came from. I agree with Onewithewilds assessment that its a geofact. Not made by human hands, just thousands of years of polish in a creek or river. It happens, I've found Many "club" like stones in the creek.

      Mississippian period ceremonial stone type "clubs" or maces can be found in your area, however they are exceedingly rare and much more refined leaving no doubt that they are man made.
      Josh (Ky/Tn collector)

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      • Kyflintguy
        Kyflintguy commented
        Editing a comment
        PS keep up the hunt!

    • #4
      We found them in the Tellico Plains area, south of Knoxville. His was found on land, mine was found on a large rock pile maybe 10 feet from a creek. I found a lot of other stone tool in the same pile. This was definitely a spot where people used to do stone work. There is no doubt in my mind that this was man-made. If one was to hold it and examine the detail up close, they would agree. Especially since both of them are almost identical except for the color. Stones aren't naturally curved like this. But I could be wrong.
      Last edited by Star7; 09-03-2016, 09:57 PM.

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      • Scorpion68
        Scorpion68 commented
        Editing a comment
        Star - Did you really mean to say "There is no doubt in my mind that this wasn't man-made?"

    • #5
      It seems to show polishing in pictures 3,4 and 8 IMO. No clue what it is.
      location:Central Ky

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      • #6
        I think the river polishing is what your seeing. I can't speak for your friends find because I can't see it, but what I can see is NOT an artifact, it's a geofact.
        I would be interested to see the other stone tools that you found with this one, are they made from the same stuff as this rock? It's looks like water worn sandstone, it would probably break if struck against anything hard. This rock you are showing does not match the description of other known artifacts from the area including axes,celts or ceremonial axe and mace effigies...
        Josh (Ky/Tn collector)

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        • #7
          It's not sandstone. It is very hard, not sure what kind of stone. I will take a few pictures of others I found and post them as soon as I can. Also, my friend lives 120 miles away, so I can't post pictures of his, but next time I go there, I will definitely take some and upload them. He has found a lot of tools and even a map painted on a slab of stone approx. 12" x 20". It tells how to get to a cave. It shows crossing a river, then over a mountain. Really cool. He hasn't found the cave yet, but hasn't given up.

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          • #8
            I just got done looking on my pile of rocks, I have several of those that came in with collections. People pick those up and keep them because they're out of the ordinary, and appear to be man made. but, unfortunately, they are natural. There's probably a field next to the rock pile. the rock pile is man made. This is where farmers used to drag a large flat, wooden sled around the field, and rocks were taken out of the field and piled up on the sled. Then they were dumped near the creek. Sometimes you find these large rock piles on the edge of a woodlot near a plowed field. The rocks were dislodged from bedrock or they were just in the field, and caused a lot of damage to farm implements, so they were cleared from the field. The one you found may have been rolled around and broken that way from years of plowing before it was finally picked up and thrown on the rock pile. Being near the creek, it would get polished from years of erosion by water, wind, rain, freezing and thawing, etc. I would say geofact as well.
            http://www.ravensrelics.com/

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            • #9
              Star7 - Firstly welcome aboard AH.com. This is where I first came to get help in identifying some of my finds. Now - much as I hate to admit it, Mother Nature has really shaped some strange things. I found what I thought was a man-made artifact that was used as a tool. I'll post a pic at the end of this post. I came on here proud as all get out cause I had found this in a freshly bulldozed pond bed just barely exposed in clay. The pond bed was about 15 feet deep. All the members on here told me it was a geofact. I was blown away and didn't believe any of them. So I took it to the state archaeologist over at the park and darned if he didn't say the same thing. I even showed him the slot at the end and he said it's possible that it may have been used as a chipping tool but only because it was conveniently shaped by nature and it could serve their purpose. Hump! Anyway - I still have it and occasionally show it..

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              Pickett/Fentress County, Tn - Any day on this side of the grass is a good day. -Chuck-

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