Hammer stone?

[Deangreen]

I like to collect stuff, but am not a specific collector of stone artifacts. This artifact came from an estate sale in GA, USA and thought it interesting. After a Google search I determined it was a "grooved hammerstone". Is that correct? The groove seems rather small and looks like it was made to hold a strap. Any more info on this object would be very much appreciated.

[Kentucky point]

I have zero clue what that is. It's cool though, if it's authentic.

[SurfaceHunter]

We don’t have those in Georgia but to me it looks like a reproduction. Someone probably bought it . Just my opinion

[Lindenmeier-Man]

It is very well polished, like KP above says above authentic then it is a remarkable artifact.

[Deangreen]

It is very smooth and quite heavy. I would not be surprised if it was a repro, I guess there's no way to tell?

[Kentucky point]

Repros are sometimes very hard to tell, especially without the artifact in one of our hands. I'm in no way a good authenticator, but one good way to help is by taking as clear a picture as possible in natural sunlight, closeups, etc. I wouldn't send it to Baker COA or any other company like that because that's what they are paid to do - slap a label that says authentic on it.

[SurfaceHunter]

Wait for others to chime in and see what they say.

[Havenhunter]

Doesn’t pass the smell test as authentic. I suspect it’s s reproduction. The grooves don’t look right.

[Cecilia]

What is it supposed to be? A grooved axe, like SDhunter’s avatar? Only seen in pictures and illustrations, and know have sharp flaked edge (being axe and all!), but thought thicker through middle. Guess better look at one in real life if ever gonna be able judge real or fake.

[pkfrey]

Cecelia, Real ones outside of the Plains Indian clubs, wouldn't be thin like that with flat edges all the way around. That one looks to be ground and then buffed on a machine wheel.

[Cecilia]

Thank you! Then was a lil’ accurate when thought too thin ..... I am learning! But, the more I know, the more I know what I don’t know. And, gotta say, I refused to learn about car engines when my mentor-father wanted to teach me; kinda feel like that about Typology.....😲🤫

[Chazzybear]

Could be legit. Need better pics. I Have seen something similar in new jersey

[Deangreen]

Don't know if these pics are useful, but here are some higher res pics of the edges.

[Cmcramer]

Ask your local high school biology teacher if you can bring the artifact into school after classes dismiss and use their best stereo microscope. Examine the artifact all over at 10x for tell tale machine marks: from sandpaper, wire brush, Dremel-like tool, grinding wheel. Numerous, parallel scratches or striations would be bad news.

[Jethro355]

I’ve seen something similar in Oklahoma that was found at a massive buffalo kill site. They said it was used to bust the skull open to get at the grey matter.

[Josie]

I would have been one skinny Indian, lol.

[Cecilia]

👏

[pkfrey]

If authentic, that would be in the style of what's called a " Floppy Head " club, Plains Indian, mid to late 1800s. The material is diorite, and the handle would have came up to the edge and then the groove was wrapped several times with rawhide. It's way out of style to be the Archaic axe, club, or hammer that we see from that period. But again, to be authentic, it wouldn't have the high ridges on it, they wouldn't be necessary, because the entire head would normally have been encased and bound with rawhide. The rawhide would have been one piece that extended to the handle. The material, diorite, would be unusual. Normally the material would be quartz, quartzite, compact sandstone, even limestone, I've never seen one made from diorite. My guess is a repro.

[Jethro355]

I’ll take your word over just about anything else.👍

After studying the picture, I came to the conclusion that whoever made it spent an awful lot of time making it all smaller than the ridges, which makes no sense with a stone that hard.

[pkfrey]

Diorite was commonly used for hardstone tools, and other items, like bannerstones, axes, celts,chopping tools, etc., but to reproduce one using the prehistoric method of first flaking, than pecking, then polishing with a hardstone cone, wouldn't be profitable at all. So they just turn to the machine, cutting, buffing, and polishing.

[Deangreen]

Here is a magnified photo of the area between the 2 ridges. I saw plenty of peck marks but no striations or scrape marks. What do you think?