Plummets, Charmstones, and Mystery

[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

[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🤓

[Benji]

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

[Artifascination]

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

[Cecilia]

You been holding out! No wonder find such good stuff; Dad maybe passed down gene with the big-eyed hungry bug that we all seem to got!

[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

[Cecilia]

This is great exchange! The ole hoofbeats theory: if sounds like horse, don’t need to be thinkin’ zebras. A real plumb, for lotsa uses, including teepee/tipi/lodge alignment.... and, that’s not totally inconsistent with possible household loom sidejob...

Alternatively, eclectic California People intuited bigger purpose as disposable medical/spiritual containment of negative juju/mojo/booboo. I see that easily, as every time I got a wart as a kid, my G’ma take me in garden, pull some leaves, rub them unto wart, dig a lil’ hole, say some words over leaves, drop in hole, and bury ‘em...

Really!

[south fork]

Not in California too many found in lakes / ponds . Some were used in healing once the illness was drawn out they were tossed into the water .

[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.

[Artifascination]

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

[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

[CMD]

I know, but I also assume it likely did not have that meaning to the native who fashioned the piece. But, of course it may have held deep meaning to him, including perhaps “no end”, or it may be simply decorative. I do assume, though, that he knew what he was doing when the pattern ended up atop the knob.

[gregszybala]

Good stuff folks, keep it coming. Check out cmd’s link, great thread there.

[SDhunter]

I’m with you. That’s my theory as well. I’m going with the obvious. I have one (plum bob),that hangs when I set up my tripod for my transit. I just assumed they used them to set up their tipis straight. Lol

[Artifascination]

That’s the symbol for infinity! Not the car but the symbol for no end! Too cool!