What did he find?

[jchristmas]

My husband found this in the chicken coop. The chickens dug it up. We have been told it is some sort of jewelry. It appears to have a piece chipped off where the (birds feet) might have been. It is 3" from head to tail. Any info would be appreciated.

[greywolf22]

Need picture.

[greywolf22]

I looked at the picture and it is interesting. Looks to have a little workmanship to it but its so eccentric that I can not attach a culture to it.

[panaggie]

Pretty lithic. Odd shape but appears to have been worked and used. Probabaly a hafted knife? Can I have two of your chickens? I'll put em on a leash and take em with me on my next hunt. As Grey Wolf said next to impossible to tie to any culture.
THanks Bob

[Adam27]

Hey Jeri,
  I read over your profile and it says that you live in Indiana, so there's a very good possibility that it's either something from the Miami Indians or perhaps Shawnee.
I think we're all in agreement that it's beautiful.  Very pretty coloration.  It could have been used as a knife.  Very doubtful your chickens took a chip out of it. 
  What would be awesome is to move your chicken coop and dig out from underneath it and see what else might be lurking just below the soil.  You never know what points might be down there.  Might find something that looks good enough to be in a museum.

[wmwallace]

J, that is indeed a beautiful piece of material. I agree with Adam, I would be digging in the chicken coop. Panaggie LOL there are days with my back I could use a couple of those chickens myself!! Great artifact!

[panaggie]

I know what you found in the chicken coop. It really piqued my interest and I believe it could be a Waller Knife. It has all the attributes even though it is a little far west for the type. But , that has certainly happened before. Time period of 9000 b.p. to 5000 b.p. If you have an Overstreet's, youcan find some examples in there.
Bob

[greywolf22]

It kind of looks like a Waller Knife but I do not think it is because it is to far out of context. Most waller knifes are found in Gulf Coastal States. The material is a big question mark to me. I am trying to figure that one out.

[panaggie]

They are also found up and down the eastern seaboard which still makes it a stretch, but stranger things have happened. Curiosity still has me on this one. Bob

[greywolf22]

I do not think this would cut the mustard for a Waller Knife, but you are correct that a culture piece is sometimes found out of context, but not to often. I think lithic material is found more out of context than culture context because it was a trade item that was traded between culture groups. Alibates as an examle is found over a wide area, it was quarried to be traded.
I do not think the Waller is found up and down the east coast from my readings. Maybe as far north as the southern part of North Carolina. I am not from that area so all of it is in what I read.

[wmwallace]

Now that you two have brought it up it does appear to be a Waller Knife. But it is extremely out of range, I have about 6-8 Waller knives in my collection from a large collection I purchased out of Alabama. The material is extremely wierd in itself, and still has me clueless, almost as though it was painted or colored. Still a mystery. Bill