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Post by 4cornersrocks on Apr 19, 2008 11:12:14 GMT -5
My wife and I were out looking for petrified wood yesterday when we found this artifact. It was found in the four corners region near Farmington, New Mexico. I assume it would be either Ute, or some other local tribes work. It was found near Ute Mountain Indian Reservation, on BLM land. I guess it's either a hammer or something like that (crescent wrench?). The indentation/workings in the middle go all the way around and the stone has also been shaped on the sides or edges as well. Any ideas? I also took some photos of these unusual markings I found nearby on the ground. I suspect that they are natural and just coincidentally look like a pattern, but who knows, this site isn't too far from Mesa Verde, where I have seen simular markings for structures, etc... (last pic.)    |
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Post by 4cornersrocks on Apr 19, 2008 11:14:19 GMT -5
Oh yeah I almost forgot, it was about 5x3x3 inches in size and probably weighed 3-5 pounds, kinda big but nothing huge. hope that helps. ;D dude Here's a photo of the area, I thought this was kind of funny. The boulder obviously rolled from uphill and crushed this poor tree.  when rocks go bad... ;D |
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Post by dreamcatcher on Apr 20, 2008 17:52:35 GMT -5
Looks like a full-grooved maul to me. Nice find.
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Post by brent on Apr 20, 2008 22:45:19 GMT -5
We have a few of those here too. We call them indian hammers.
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Post by 4cornersrocks on Apr 21, 2008 0:43:24 GMT -5
Thanks, I was pretty certain it was a maul or hammer, judging by the size of it I couldn't even think of another use. I stilll think the third photo is just some random natural markings, just wondering if anybody else had seen anything like that.
dude
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Post by arappaho on Apr 21, 2008 7:27:03 GMT -5
Great pics, dude. I love the way that hafted hammerstone, or noggin-nocker, was just lying out in the open for you to trip over. Glad you didn't, ofcourse. Nice find! That third pic is of a well organized prehistoric kitchen. The top holes are for regular coarse ground meal, and the lower holes are for finer grounds. JUST KIDDING! ;D I have read where those holes are started by a fungus, like moss, that pools and grows on the rock gradually breaking it down to be eroded away and leaving the indentions. Now whether or not they were used at some point in time as mortars or grain processing areas, is another story. You would have to take a real close look at them and see if there are any wear or use markings. But if Mother Nature provides, the aboriginals were more than happy to utilize.  Joe |
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Post by 4cornersrocks on Apr 21, 2008 21:03:59 GMT -5
Great pics, dude. I love the way that hafted hammerstone, or noggin-nocker, was just lying out in the open for you to trip over. Glad you didn't, ofcourse. Nice find! That third pic is of a well organized prehistoric kitchen. The top holes are for regular coarse ground meal, and the lower holes are for finer grounds. JUST KIDDING! ;D I have read where those holes are started by a fungus, like moss, that pools and grows on the rock gradually breaking it down to be eroded away and leaving the indentions. Now whether or not they were used at some point in time as mortars or grain processing areas, is another story. You would have to take a real close look at them and see if there are any wear or use markings. But if Mother Nature provides, the aboriginals were more than happy to utilize. Joe Ahh... Stuff like this is what made me join this site in the first place, I never even considered that fungus could have made those holes, but it makes sense. There are lichens and inch thick moss all over these rocks, just not in my photos! The moss is almost always at the bottom of these holes, it all makes sense now. It seems odd that so much moss grows in this arid environment but I noticed while digging that the soil was very moist. THANK YOU oh and yeah, I took the photos of the artifact as it was found, untouched, just laying there out in the open. I also found a shard of pottery nearby, I was unsure if it was really pottery until today when I was looking at an Anasazi pottery display and found an example of it. I'll try to post a photo later when I have time, it is nothing special but I was excited. |
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Post by arappaho on Apr 22, 2008 10:30:58 GMT -5
10-4 there, Duder. This is one great Board!  And, I gotta tell you, I really like that picture of the hammer sitting there all by itself but blending in perfectly with the surroundings. That would make a nice blow up or poster. Joe |
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Post by betheejaymes on Apr 23, 2008 18:16:30 GMT -5
Congrats to you! I have lived in that area, in fact, it was one of my first finds of an ancient dump, tons of broken pottery shards. It was along the cliff of MaCuelmow (sp) canyon just south of Cortez. The kids all go down there to shoot heir guns, so you must be careful and wear the right clothing. Protocol dictates you should notify the Indian aurthorities in that area of what you found. I am sure by law it is theirs. Just be careful and informed, you dont want the FBI all over you for illeagle rocks. It is such a magnificent find you I am sure will be contacted by lots of us diseased individuals, rockhound disease!
I must have it bad huh? Now I think I might try and reply all night long, all over the Internet, I'm a cyberwhore! What Next??
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Post by di66er on Apr 24, 2008 9:54:08 GMT -5
Yes what arappaho said it is real neat seeing it as found, almost like being there! The photos are great thanks for the thrill weeeeeeeee!
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Post by amythestguy on Apr 24, 2008 12:34:19 GMT -5
My grandfather was one of the foremost experts on plains Indians especially the Sioux. I have that exact same thing at my house which my grandfather gave me. It was used to smash buffalo bones to get the marrow out, which was a delicacy. Being in a desert type area by the looks of the picture I am sure you did not have buffalo there so it could have been used on other types of animals. A rawhide strip was tied in the middle with a forked stick. Depending on where exactly you are, alot of the indigineous people traveled to east New Mexico and West Texas to hunt the Southern plains buffalo herd. They also used them to drive stakes if they lived in tepees or similar housing. They were seldom if ever used as weapons. If My digital camera was working I would send a picture of mine(which is identical) that was found on my grandfathers farm in central South Dakota. Amguy
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Post by 4cornersrocks on Apr 24, 2008 23:22:53 GMT -5
My grandfather was one of the foremost experts on plains Indians especially the Sioux. I have that exact same thing at my house which my grandfather gave me. It was used to smash buffalo bones to get the marrow out, which was a delicacy. Being in a desert type area by the looks of the picture I am sure you did not have buffalo there so it could have been used on other types of animals. A rawhide strip was tied in the middle with a forked stick. Depending on where exactly you are, alot of the indigineous people traveled to east New Mexico and West Texas to hunt the Southern plains buffalo herd. They also used them to drive stakes if they lived in tepees or similar housing. They were seldom if ever used as weapons. If My digital camera was working I would send a picture of mine(which is identical) that was found on my grandfathers farm in central South Dakota. Amguy OK, cool, that makes sense, people like to eat, I did a few times today! Amethystguy, thanks for all the great information, I really appreciate it. arappaho, thank you for the compliments betheejames, yeah mcelmo (whatever it's called) rocks, I have spent a bit of time there exploring, just never knew quite what areas where public, beautiful area. di66er, thank you too! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D |
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Post by buckeye on Apr 24, 2008 23:47:58 GMT -5
WOW!!!
when that picture came up my heart jumped just seeing that picture. That is an impressive find!
Gratz!!!
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Post by 4cornersrocks on Apr 25, 2008 23:10:10 GMT -5
WOW!!! when that picture came up my heart jumped just seeing that picture. That is an impressive find! Gratz!!! Thanks Buckeye, much appreciated. Here are some more photos for you guys. (and girls of course too!) The first two are just of the general location because I thought it would be interesting to see where the artifact came from. The thing about this site is that IT IS AWESOME! The same afternoon I found about 40 lbs of nice hematite pieces and my wife found another tree section of petrified wood! The wood was agatized and must have weighed at least 300 pounds and was about 5 feet long with very nice ring and bark detail. It is also still there (I left it for you guys...  ) along with a lot of other neat stuff. I even found a really neat pottery shard, I'll try to post the pics of it later. Of course, we always find petrified wood and agate at this location, that's why we go, carnelian and moss agate, black and red agate, etc. The last photo was taken very near where I found the artifact, it is of a seam of agate and other cool stuff coming out of its matrix,(volcanic tuft/ash ?) this is where you look for pet. wood and agate, just thought it was kind of educational...    |
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Post by betheejaymes on May 2, 2008 2:38:00 GMT -5
That is so true about being educational. Rocks spark the interest of most kids. What got me hooked was when I was about 7 or 8 yrs old using my dads hammer and breaking the rocks in our driveway. I grew up in Colorado, along the front range, where there are lots of rocks with mica in them..When that rock split open and the sun hit the shiny stuff I was so excited to crack the next one, and the next one and the...well you know the rest. Then came a day when I was showing off my rocks and somebody asked "what makes it that color, or shape, or ...? That was about 15 yrs or so ago, so off to the Senior Center for a lapidary class. That was in Aurora Colorado and the place I started educating myself. Now if I would have started learning about geology in the beginning I might have paid more attention in school. So now when I have an opportunity I tell all those wide eyed rock pups all the different jobs related to rocks. Even engineers need pretty rocks to love.
There are lots of cliff type ruins throughout the southwest. Just 30 minutes from me we found areas explored by only hikers and 4 wheelers where there are petrogliphs and some round holes somewhat like that in your picture. These were in granite. Also some giant ammonites embedded and granitezed. Some leftover mining mess from 100 yrs ago to poke around in too.
I think sometimes rock tools are over looked because it doesn't look like a tool. One of the old timers here once told me "If it is comfortable in your hand it was probably comfortable in someone elses before you."
Thanks for the nice pictures. One of the things about being a rockhound is enjoying the beauty Mother Earth has created for us to dwell in.
Bethee
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) along with a lot of other neat stuff. I even found a really neat pottery shard, I'll try to post the pics of it later. Of course, we always find petrified wood and agate at this location, that's why we go, carnelian and moss agate, black and red agate, etc.