Strange artifact
- Thread starter Oblio13
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Come along to the amazing Summer Moot (21st July - 2nd August), a festival of bushcrafting and camping in a beautiful woodland PLEASE CLICK HERE for more information.
Just had another look at this and thought it could be
a bushy style whirlygig for hanging out the washing in the woods made by primitives.
a bushy style whirlygig for hanging out the washing in the woods made by primitives.
Some kind of fish trap possibly? what ever it is i suspect it is part of something larger but biodegradable.
A desk tidy is my guess - ink and pen holder, though incense burner for tea light and joss sticks could be an option
Incense- what I was thinking.
i like this idea, wonder how long it took to bore out though. i would love to stumble across somthing like that
State archeologist (I didn't even know we had a state archeologist until now) says it's a 17th or 18th century ink well.
How it ended up in a river is anyone's guess. Perhaps the river changed course and washed away a cabin, or perhaps Indians threw it there after an attack, as they were in the habit of destroying whatever they couldn't use.
We're going to hike back there when the snow melts to see if we can find anything else.
How it ended up in a river is anyone's guess. Perhaps the river changed course and washed away a cabin, or perhaps Indians threw it there after an attack, as they were in the habit of destroying whatever they couldn't use.
We're going to hike back there when the snow melts to see if we can find anything else.
Interesting 
Not what I was expecting I admit, but there you go.Thanks for letting us know
Is 17th or 18th century early for European settlement in your part of the world ?
cheers,
Toddy
Well........ technically it could be perceived that it was European colonisation that was causing the indigenous folks trouble, iimmc.Not being judgemental, just conscious that our certain past was their very uncertain future.
Did you find out what the inkwell was made from ? and are they common finds ?
cheers,
M
I was right!
That has to be a first for me!
I would love that kind of thing on my shelves - you are very lucky to have found it!
That has to be a first for me!
I would love that kind of thing on my shelves - you are very lucky to have found it!
Do you have serpentine or soapstone John ?
They both carve easily and would make one of these very tidily with a pocket knife and a file.
cheers,
M
They both carve easily and would make one of these very tidily with a pocket knife and a file.
cheers,
M
I wouldn't take their word for that, not unless they can show you a similar example which is known to be an ink well. It just seems very complex to be a pot for dipping your pen in. I still think it has something to do with cord.
If it was me I'd look for a second opinion, or at least ask to see a similar specimen.
It is more about the finding of an interesting artifact than the making
I have carved several items (inc small memorial stones for my parents) from Old Red Sandstone using no more than a penknife and old files
Well it does look about the right size for an inkwell, but having 5 holes is quite unusual. Most (old) inkwells only have one ? But then I'm no expert.
If you do go back for a look at the area, check out the local rocks and see if it may have been fashioned from local material, or bought in from somewhere else. If its local rock, it suggest it was made by someone living in the area. .... In fact if you can identify the type of rock it is made from it may suggest where it came from. I'll guess that it was probably made by someone locally, I don't think it is the sort of thing which would have been carried a long way (but please prove me wrong).
If you do go back for a look at the area, check out the local rocks and see if it may have been fashioned from local material, or bought in from somewhere else. If its local rock, it suggest it was made by someone living in the area. .... In fact if you can identify the type of rock it is made from it may suggest where it came from. I'll guess that it was probably made by someone locally, I don't think it is the sort of thing which would have been carried a long way (but please prove me wrong).
I tend to agree with you but here in the Southeast the evidence suggests that the Indian nations had pretty lengthy trade routes even in the pre-Columbian period. It seems that coastal stone for tool and decorative use was prized by the inland peoples. I don't know about the nations in the New Hampshire and Northeast area but I would think they did as well.
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Did some Googling and found pics of ceramic inkwells with similar designs.
I'm no geologist, and didn't think to ask the state archeologist, but it looked like our local igneous rock. We are "the Granite state". (We actually have more Schist than Granite, but who wants to be "the Schist state"?)
I'm no geologist, and didn't think to ask the state archeologist, but it looked like our local igneous rock. We are "the Granite state". (We actually have more Schist than Granite, but who wants to be "the Schist state"?)
I'm going to drill some holes and scratch some grooves in a few rocks and bury them, that'll confuse the hell out of them on Time-Team in 2134AD
Will
Will
I have a friend who insists he's going to his grave wearing a Sutton Hoo helm, a Roman gladius, a Scottish sgian dubh, a Brown Bess Musket by his side and old fashioned British army hobnail boots on his feet 
Gonna be a bit of a bugger sorting that one out, let alone the titanium jaw pins for crowns and the artificial heart valve
Isn't archaeology fun
cheers,
M
Gonna be a bit of a bugger sorting that one out, let alone the titanium jaw pins for crowns and the artificial heart valve
Isn't archaeology fun
cheers,
M
Haha, I've already told my lady that I want to be buried with as random a selection of items as possible in order to cause confusion to future archaeologists.
Now I just have to hope all internet records are corrupted and lost before then so they won't realise what we're up to!
Now I just have to hope all internet records are corrupted and lost before then so they won't realise what we're up to!
