Bone, antler, or ivory? Also, what is it?

[jmanrizz]

I found this on the Texas coastline in the Houston area. It is either bone, antler, or ivory. It has a grain to it that is visible in the photos. Also, it has two holes drilled in it approx. 2" apart and 1/4" - 5/16" diameter. It has damage and wear likely due to erosion from sand and waves etc...

any thoughts would be appreciated as I only know enough to know that I don't know much about this stuff.

[Stansbery]

You need a good magnifying lens. Bone typically will have traces of blood vessel paths on the surface that appear as microscopic grooves or pores and are usually black. I don't see any but your pictures aren't too clear. If you look straight into the end at the drilled hole, ivory will have a fine annular ring pattern that criss crosses. As I recall, the angle that they cross can help determine the donor animal species. I don't really have a test for antler other than friction heat is supposed to stink like burned hair. My guess is it's antler, and I have no idea what it is. What are the circumstances of the find.

[jmanrizz]

I am familiar with the porous nature of bone and this is definitely a different feel. It is very hard if I put it to my tooth whereas bone in my limited experience is hard, but not like this. Would antlers have a grain structure similar to this? The circumstances were I was on the beach fishing and not catching. So I decided to look for stuff on the beach. Lots of cool finds including a few unidentifiable (to me) fossils, a few more modern bones (one of which may have been used as a awl), and a few geodes (I think they are called). I'll post some pictures of the others as well.

[jmanrizz]

These are a few of the fossils I also found. The curious one to me is the one that looks like a fossilized alligator scale? It is definitely not stone.

[jmanrizz]

Pictures of possible Native American pottery. (Thoughts?)
and a picture of some various bones. The bottom one I believe may have been an awl. (Thoughts?)

[jmanrizz]

A few pieces of lithic material found as well. They do not appear to have been worked

[jmanrizz]