Pipe stem?

[Stasdab]

Hello everyone, here's the last piece i found. I think its a pipe stem made out of local clay. I think it was native made and not a trade pipe due to the material and bowls ive seen on the internet. I broke a small section off cleaning the sand inside it but glued it back. Any input on age?

[Chakotay]

Actually,  I think it's an oblong bead for a necklace instead of a pipe stem...

[Stasdab]

Never thought of that but it makes sense. Thanks again. I found it in a creek, historically my area had miami, potawatomi, sauk, fox and illinos with shifting tribal boundries besides the pre contact people. Any input where it might fit in?

[painshill]

It's an eroded section from a fossilized crinoid stem (the "columnal"). You can see one of the branching points (arrowed):

Here's some typical example from Texas, some of which show the branching points more clearly:

[pic from nautiloid.net]
These things were often used as beads, but without context we'll never know.

[Stasdab]

Thanks but its not stone so i wonder. You can see all the different size grains and when i broke it cleaning it you could really see the grains inside. Sorry i cant zoom in any closer for better photos

[painshill]

Stasdab wrote:

Thanks but its not stone so i wonder. You can see all the different size grains and when i broke it cleaning it you could really see the grains inside. Sorry i cant zoom in any closer for better photos

  I think you'll find it is stone. Sandstone. That's what's replaced the decayed organic material.

[CMD]

Roger is correct. My first thought was fossil as well, but I wasn't sure due to the erosion.

[Stasdab]

Thanks for the input everyone