Am I being unreasonably irritated in that some bloke is selling stuff on evilbay as pre-Colombian artefacts which are clearly just stones. They are in moderately interesting shapes but they're not worked, it's all just to do with the rock formation. I can't remember what the rock is, but I found a load like this on a beach once and was excited for about ten seconds and then realised it was geology not archaeology. I want to call him on it but I'm not sure how, and maybe it's just buyer beware. But it's annoyed me no end this evening. Some of the objects he's asking in the thousands for! It seems outrageous. Ok will go and make a cup of tea and calm down a bit.
Pre Colombian racket
- Thread starter Lizz
- Start date
I get (unreasonably?) irritated at about ninety per cent of what I see for sale there and in a lot of physical outlets as well; but I think it's just a result of free choice in a free market and you're right on the money with
the caveat emptor thing. If people are dumb enough to buy this stuff there's always going to be gazillions of scallys to oblige them.
Doesn't make it any less annoying, just inevitable.............................
the caveat emptor thing. If people are dumb enough to buy this stuff there's always going to be gazillions of scallys to oblige them.
Doesn't make it any less annoying, just inevitable.............................
eolith (ˈiːəʊˌlɪθ
n
1. (Archaeology) a stone, usually crudely broken, used as a primitive tool in Eolithic times
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
e•o•lith (ˈi ə lɪθ
n.
a chipped stone of the late Tertiary Period in Europe once thought to have been flaked by humans but now known to be the product of natural agencies.
[1890–95]
e`o•lith′ic, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Who does one listen to?
n
1. (Archaeology) a stone, usually crudely broken, used as a primitive tool in Eolithic times
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
e•o•lith (ˈi ə lɪθ
n.
a chipped stone of the late Tertiary Period in Europe once thought to have been flaked by humans but now known to be the product of natural agencies.
[1890–95]
e`o•lith′ic, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Who does one listen to?
The stones I'm looking at on evilbay aren't flint and haven't been chipped so they aren't eoliths in the traditional sense as far as I can tell. They look like this
The seller does have lots of ???? Next to the item so isn't claiming them for definite as artefacts, just proposing them...
And I think I'm with the contemporary archaeologists on this one - they might have been used but they aren't worked!
The seller does have lots of ???? Next to the item so isn't claiming them for definite as artefacts, just proposing them...
And I think I'm with the contemporary archaeologists on this one - they might have been used but they aren't worked!
Why shouldn't she?
Lots of people enjoy the subject and they'll look at them and see what's around on auction sites for personal interest and information
Maybe Tengu's not saying 'why the hell you bothering with that?' rather than, what's your interest in the antiquities, things to display, to use, copy etc
Don't quote me though
Don't quote me though
eolith (ˈiːəʊˌlɪθ
n
1. (Archaeology) a stone, usually crudely broken, used as a primitive tool in Eolithic times
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
e•o•lith (ˈi ə lɪθ
n.
a chipped stone of the late Tertiary Period in Europe once thought to have been flaked by humans but now known to be the product of natural agencies.
[1890–95]
e`o•lith′ic, adj.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
Who does one listen to?
I may be wrong BUT I am pretty sure I have such a stone... every body poo poos it as yea right! but I have kept it for over 30 years suspecting it to be a tool. I found it when I was 16, I was working on a Youth opportunities programme as a jobbing joiner digging a hole for a septic tank (by hand) it was 8' foot down clay soil & no sign of the other piece It seems to fit perfectly in the hand & shows visible signs of repeated impact (second & third pictures) don't know what stone it is maybe Marble, or what its purpose....
being apparently a right hand tool & having a right handed camera it is difficult for me to photograph
but photos or it doesn't exist Right? so here it is.... Any ideas????
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There will always be criminals out there, and I've kinda got used to that.
What bothers me more than criminals openly breaking the law (for example on eBay, or on Amazon's Website) is the response by the authorities when it's brought to their attention.
Nottingham Fraud Squad told me they weren't interested in anything under fifty grand - and that was twenty years ago, so for a long time I gave up on reporting attempted frauds altogether.
Later, when I told the manager of a London branch of Lloyds Bank that somebody was trying to use a stolen cheque made out for three grand to buy stuff from me he said "Bank it". I did, and it cleared, and when his customer found out he spent a year asking me to give the money back.
Some years ago a policeman came to my office to investigate another attempted fraud. I offered to pay for the air tickets so we could go and arrest the criminal at Entebbe airport. He politely declined and said there was nothing he could do.
When recently I called the Police "ActionFraud hotline" about a crooked company advertising goods illegally on Amazon - for over a year - they said it was probably just a mistake and refused even to make a note of it. Contacting Amazon was a waste of time.
A customer threatened me with violence after I asked him to leave our offices. The police took our CCTV of the incident, and a statement from me, and promised to get back to me over a year ago about this known offender. They never did.
Although I have been instrumental in getting a couple of jail sentences handed down, I could catalogue a couple of dozen other experiences where I've tried to help bring criminals to justice and met little but apathy and sometimes even downright obstructiveness.
What I'm saying is that - especially on the Internet, which in my view is largely a seething cauldron of criminal enterprise - the odds seem to be stacked pretty highly in favour of the crooks, who I think have to be pretty incompetent to get caught. It almost makes me want to give up legitimate business, which sometimes seems like a great deal more work for a relatively paltry rate of return on investment when compared with, say, selling snake oil.
So keep your wits about you, and take a deep breath, because until it looks like a vote winner it isn't going to get any better.
What bothers me more than criminals openly breaking the law (for example on eBay, or on Amazon's Website) is the response by the authorities when it's brought to their attention.
Nottingham Fraud Squad told me they weren't interested in anything under fifty grand - and that was twenty years ago, so for a long time I gave up on reporting attempted frauds altogether.
Later, when I told the manager of a London branch of Lloyds Bank that somebody was trying to use a stolen cheque made out for three grand to buy stuff from me he said "Bank it". I did, and it cleared, and when his customer found out he spent a year asking me to give the money back.
Some years ago a policeman came to my office to investigate another attempted fraud. I offered to pay for the air tickets so we could go and arrest the criminal at Entebbe airport. He politely declined and said there was nothing he could do.
When recently I called the Police "ActionFraud hotline" about a crooked company advertising goods illegally on Amazon - for over a year - they said it was probably just a mistake and refused even to make a note of it. Contacting Amazon was a waste of time.
A customer threatened me with violence after I asked him to leave our offices. The police took our CCTV of the incident, and a statement from me, and promised to get back to me over a year ago about this known offender. They never did.
Although I have been instrumental in getting a couple of jail sentences handed down, I could catalogue a couple of dozen other experiences where I've tried to help bring criminals to justice and met little but apathy and sometimes even downright obstructiveness.
What I'm saying is that - especially on the Internet, which in my view is largely a seething cauldron of criminal enterprise - the odds seem to be stacked pretty highly in favour of the crooks, who I think have to be pretty incompetent to get caught. It almost makes me want to give up legitimate business, which sometimes seems like a great deal more work for a relatively paltry rate of return on investment when compared with, say, selling snake oil.
So keep your wits about you, and take a deep breath, because until it looks like a vote winner it isn't going to get any better.
Maybe I'm reading the ad wrong but I don't see any "fraud" involved. The seller is advertising a rock that he claims is "Pre-Columbian." Being as most rocks are at least millions of years old whereas Columbus' voyage was only just over 500 years ago, I suspect his claim is valid.
I would gather that he's not trying to defraud anyone as such, but rather trying to start a fad and capitalize on it as was done with "pet rocks" in the 1970s.
I would gather that he's not trying to defraud anyone as such, but rather trying to start a fad and capitalize on it as was done with "pet rocks" in the 1970s.
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The pebble tool Alan is possible for a worn down specimen but I would think one would hold the rounded end in the hand and cut with the chipped end. Any provenance, relation of Leakey or family visited Olduvai Gorge?
mmm I'm not buying that its a cutting tool... it seems too large to be held comfortably for use as a cutting tool & the angle is almost 90 degrees it doesn't make sense...
I was thinking it's more likely that it's an impact tool, like (Percuteur, a hammer stone for knapping flint from la grotte d'Aurignac.) possibly... or for working/pounding skins/leather or maybe even for cracking nuts/shells etc it has definite impact damage in one specific area... which fits with it being hand held & used a an impact tool as opposed to a cutting tool...
I was thinking it's more likely that it's an impact tool, like (Percuteur, a hammer stone for knapping flint from la grotte d'Aurignac.) possibly... or for working/pounding skins/leather or maybe even for cracking nuts/shells etc it has definite impact damage in one specific area... which fits with it being hand held & used a an impact tool as opposed to a cutting tool...
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