Friday Whatzit: Drilled Quartzite?

3/10/2017

There are lots of interesting things going on in the archaeology/anthropology world, few or none of which I will find the time to sit down and write something thoughtful about. Much of my spring break week has had me partially pinned down at home with a sick kid. It hasn't been all bad, but I'm getting antsy to get back to my lab. There are computer simulations to run, data to collect and analyze, and piles of debitage to attempt to fit back together. For better or worse, all that stuff is higher on my priority list right now than writing about someone else's work.

Anyway, I wanted to post some artifact photos I received from a reader. I don't know what this thing is. I'm curious if anyone out there has any good ideas. First, here are the photos:

The finder describes the artifact as being made of quartzite, found in a creek in Shelby County, Tennessee. The countersunk hole looks modern to me -- my initial thought was that maybe this was a water-worn piece of some kind of historic-period bath/kitchen fixture. Based on the photos, however, the artifact does appear to me to be some kind of quartzite or similar stone, which doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.

Anyway . . . does anyone know what this is?

17 Comments

Carl Feagans link

3/10/2017 07:11:09 am

I kicked this one around the office and came up with several hypotheses.

1) heating element
2) tool to remove branches from river cane
3) fire starter (put bits of burnable material in side, use a drill, embers fall through the hole. Square shape keeps it locked in a piece of wood)
4) banner stone or weight for an atlatl. The larger side of the hole fits in the handle area.
5) hand guard to an as yet unseen Hercules sword.

It looks like the inside of the larger hole is deeper along the wall, in the way you might expect if a hollow river cane was used for the drill. Then the still standing piece was knocked off. The center hole would have been done all the way through first.

Any striations or silica glaze on the inside? That might give some credence to the burr/branch remover idea.

Oh, and I cross-posted from the FB entry on this too since I figure there might be folks that don't see both. Maybe our humble thoughts will inspire the right answer :)

Uncle Ron

3/11/2017 09:29:35 am

"It looks like the inside of the larger hole is deeper along the wall . . ."

Carl- on the other hand, when I look at the first photo I see a slight depression surrounding the opening of the large hole and a slight depression in the bottom of the large hole, surrounding the small hole.

Jim

3/10/2017 07:58:09 am

Custom drawer pull, cupboard door handle ????

http://www.ecvv.com/product/4621625.html

Jonathan E. Feinstein

3/10/2017 08:22:29 am

Could be something as simple as a weight. The feature I find most interesting is that the hole has been countersunk. Why the maker of this object did that I cannot say, but when I do that it is to keep the attaching mechanism (a bolt or screw (possibly with a nut) does not stick up over the surface of the object.

It could be for space or even just aesthetic considerations.

Now let's have someone ID it for sure and show me how wrong I am :)

Kathleen

3/13/2017 10:26:31 am

Could it be a decorative weight or cord pull, such as for a curtain, and the countersink could be used to hide the knot?

Andy White

3/10/2017 08:26:43 am

Trophy base is the most convincing explanation I've seen so far (suggested by someone in a Facebook group-- not sure if he wants to be named): https://www.trophykits.com/proddetail.asp?prod=TM2X3CHCS

Fawkes

3/10/2017 10:26:49 am

How heavy is it?

It looks to me very much like a small lamp base. I work on lamps a lot and most stone ones have that shape. If not actually a base you could imagine there being a second one to pair with the one in the photo and they held something between them.

Since it wasn't found with other "old" stuff my guess is someone ground that down with repeated finer polishings to make a lamp base and then they got in a fight with their girlfriend since they wasted so much time making it and she threw it in the creek.

Bob Jase

3/10/2017 11:23:18 am

It does have a feel of being part of something decorative be it a lamp or other desk-top do-dad.

Phillip

3/10/2017 06:07:07 pm

Possibly the base to a glass hurricane lamp/vase. Or a part of that base?

Phillip

3/10/2017 06:13:58 pm

The wife's guess is a weight at the end of a rope like for a funky home made windchime. Then she said "either that or something to do with devil worship"
Pretty sure she was joking... I think

Fawkes

3/10/2017 08:14:58 pm

You should tell her it is 100% confirmed lamp base.

Raparee

3/11/2017 08:05:48 am

A bearing block for a bow drill, maybe.

David

3/11/2017 08:26:31 am

Candle stick holder

Uncle Ron

3/11/2017 09:23:46 am

Is it perfectly square and is the hole perfectly centered? (Also what is the profile of the bottom of the large hole?)

If not then it's not a trophy or lamp base and anyway, I can't recall seeing a lamp with only a 2" square base or a tiny trophy with a base that thick, proportionately. And I would think that, to be that worn it would have to have been in that creek longer than there were trophies made that way.

Jim

3/11/2017 10:00:43 am

Okay, I'm gonna change my guess. Seeing as it was found in a creek which presumably works it's way to an ocean that Vikings may have sailed and the fact that it has a hole with two different widths, like symbols or a "code",,,,,,,,I am gonna say it might be a Nephilim giants button. Well either that or part of a sharpening stone for Roman swords.

Mike W

3/12/2017 06:01:12 am

More likely Templar.......... one of the four corner bases for the arc of the covenant.

Phillip

3/13/2017 03:55:33 pm

Hahaha! Love it

Friday Whatzit: Drilled Quartzite?

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