Plummets, Charmstones, and Mystery

[tomf]

These three finds may fall into the charmstone category, though a little removed from the forms of the original post. I'll take the chance to show them.
A quartz discoid, a large ovoid stone and a (rare) stone tablet, on which traces of design in red pigment can still be seen (just).







I sincerely wish I could remember who was smart enough and kind enough to do this rendering of the 'hidden' design.



Napa, California

[Artifascination]

That quartz discoidal is spectacular! Thanks for sharing Tom and appreciate your input on the plummets! Great info!

[Missouri Breaks]

Those would be serious sites. All amazing. Something numerical going on with the tablet?

[sailorjoe]

You started a great thread Arti with lots of interesting comments. Having never found artifacts such as these I spent little time trying to learn much about them. I learned a lot today.

[Benji]

Good post art....nice artifacts so far....ill share this plummet thats in my collection that my father found when the tide was low sometime in the mid to late 70s in north florida.....i always suspected it was some sort of net weight for fishing.....this is abt 3.5 oz in weight and roughly 3 1/4 inches in length

[Artifascination]

That’s a good one! What material is that made from? Thanks for sharing Benny!

[Benji]

Not sure art.....you can see the crack running thru it....careless care of that artifact and it broke around 2005 or so...i remember it looking matte black inside, but with the red/orange color on outside of it may have some iron in it...im really not sure what it was made out of

[Artifascination]

It looks a lot like claystone! Very neat material!

[Benji]

Very true Cecilia.....i learned at a young age on what to look for

[Glacial Pebble]

I would not rule out plummets as being part of a bola system for hunting birds along the water..
Awesome relics everyone!!
I am still searching for mine, can’t wait to lock eyes on it🤓

[Cecilia]

Yep, I’ve read that, too, but who would make such a beautiful thing and sling it fast and hard and far over and over.....? That’s equivalent of using for fishing net....idk, idk ... maybe my value-system needs plumbing... 😆 LOL

[willjo]

Super collection

[Artifascination]

[Cecilia]

This insomniac just read one of coolest, most interesting articles ever, and can y’all guess, it was about (among other items) plummets being part of a Californian shaman’s rainmaking kit!

Please enjoy!

https://www.researchgate.net/profile...ication_detail

[Missouri Breaks]

I just downloaded this article and it’s really fantastic. There are descriptions of things I’ve found, including the charm stones. Answers a lot of questions.

[AJGamby]

These are all fantastic artifacts guys!

[LongStride]

it's just a odd shaped rock I found on a gravel bar, about 3" long, use it to grind the charcoal when making pine tar pitch, will document that for y'all with photos next time I make some

[Cecilia]

No, this is a JAR?! No, I don’t believe that. You musta scratched cool design if rock. Please make pine tar pitch soon, and record. (I’ll believe only JAR if see you mashing embers with it....!). Gosh, I’ll think about that next time our gazillion Georgia pines whisper in the wind!

[Pointblank]

It's not a guessing game with the California ones. Evidence supports ethnographic reports. It seems they had no utilitarian function that wasn't magical in nature. Not weights or plum lines or marital aids.
Not saying that at some point in distant past they didn't have a physical function that may have morphed into the metaphysical, but indian lore, and archeology seem to line up in agreement on this one.

Exactly what tomf stated above...............Here are a couple of mine from CA.

[tomclark]

They ain't all purdy LOL I have no doubt that some were used as utilitarian weights and some were finery.

[tomclark]

[Tam]

Shot in the dark here not ever finding anything like this . I believe most of these were utilized for survival .
weights , fishing . All the charm stones are those light weight ones .
Really in looking at this fantastic collection look who finds them . Everyone in water ways . Tom , CDM and so on . I do like CC ‘s thought of weaving interesting .

[tomclark]

Tam you are DUE!! I hope this year for ya.

[Tam]

I know right !!! Where is a pipe or a charm !