Need help identifying something I found in a Kentucky Burial mound

One thing I noticed about some of the old tools, they also look like animal parts. A bird wing or a fish dorsal fin were common. Our butter knives look a little like a bird wing and Axes look a little like fish fins. Some arrow heads look like the tip of a rays tail.

But look at our cars, we still build cars with two eyelike headlights and a grill that looks sort of like a mouth. The new cars have slanted headlights though, probably made in China. Our bowls were originally designed of the Kapala, a skull.

I actually have one that has a similar shape to the one in the OP. Mine is made from the local diabase rock and was tempered in the fire. It was not finished though, it is what is called a blank. It needed to be flaked yet.

originally posted by: rupertg

originally posted by: TheWonderkid
Have you tried playing it in a CD player?

I just popped your star cherry.

I hope it was love and not pity.

a reply to: rickymouse

The new cars have slanted headlights though, probably made in China.

Watch out! The PC police are going to come after you for that one. LOL


-dex

A bit off topic but decades ago I lived in Bowling Green and there was this odd graveyard by a small church going up toward Scottsville I believe. Anyways all the graves were covered in what looked like seashells.
They were arranged neatly to cover each burial plot. I have always wondered what the heck it was done for.
I do know there are a lot of Amish or Mennonites up in that area so not sure if something pertaining to them.

a reply to: trollslayer

I found quite a few artifacts on my property, and I did go see the Local Indians about them. Because of the land and because of some of the combinations of stones I found, they say I am probably on an old ceremonial site. I talked to a few elders and also the information was brought to a few medicine men and they said it is all right to dig these up but they should remain in the area where they were found since they were given to the land there. They should never be sold or permanently relocated. I asked if I were to dig up some of the little rock groups of four if I could give them to the Indian kids and they said that shouldn't be a problem. They are sort of time capsules. The depth of many of these little offerings is about a foot but they were actually buried as part of the ritual of offering so there is no telling how old they are. They told me that there are four stones, one for each diredtion. Some had three and I was told there was four but one was probably was bone and deteriorated.

I quit digging with equipment around here, and I am no longer going to disturb the rows of rocks that are under ground by digging with my tractor. I may gently dig up the rows in the future to see what was mosiac'd onto the stones. They cemented some stones to some of them. They also placed ground stones together to look like turtles, birds, and other animals. I think artists lived here.

a reply to: PhloydPhan

Yes i am aware it is "illegal"

A STORY

I was on the way to town one time, and saw a dead possum in the road, with her babies still nursing on her. I stopped and picked the babies up, cleaned them up, fed them appropriately, and contacted the local animal shelter.

They also informed me that what i had just done was illegal. I got those possums to a wild animal rescue, and told everyone if they felt so strongly to come stop me, but they never did.

I couldn't give a rats a** what "they" say because i will die for what is right and they won't even do their "job"

But thanks for the warning.

a reply to: trollslayer

Do you have a place where i could see those tools online?

I would love to speak with a tribal authority, because i believe these mounds and tools don't exist according to the government, and i would hate to see them disappear due to state greed.

a reply to: rickymouse

I didn't know you could temper rock.

I wonder what they had that would burn that hot.... or could a relatively cold wood fire have accomplished this?

a reply to: maybee

I am going to look into that. Maybe i will run into Rand Paul again!

It's hard to tell the mennonites from regular people anymore. But the Amish are multiplying and I have always felt a kinship with them. I have been around them alot, especially when i built grain bins and elevators, i do believe they are the toughest and most caring people on earth.

a reply to: rickymouse

You must live an amazing life. Whats it like up there?

do you have a thread with pics of those four stones /now 3 bone deterioration?

a reply to: benwyatt

Can you lay it on its "back" and take another pic please?

Is there wear on it? Does it look like its been used to smash things (chunks knocked off, etc)? Or scrape (striations or smoothing running away from the 'sharp" side)? Is it smoothed off from being held/handled (showing it was held, or had some age)?

At first guess, im saying its ceremonial, unless there are grooves or knicks on it that indicate actual use.

I was a member of the Virginia Archaeological Society for a while. The State of Virginia has some rather draconian laws concerning hunting for artifacts that go beyond even what the Federal government specifies.

One of the archaeologists that I was working with told me a story about a dig she was leading once. They were doing an excavation in a state park. They were suddenly interrupted by a park ranger. The archaeologists looked up and was staring straight down the barrel of the ranger's semi-automatic. So she slowly pulled out the permit and showed him they were authorized to do the dig. There are a couple of states that take their archaeological heritage very seriously. It kind of sucks though because you can't legally do even simple coin-shooting on any state owned property.

I believe that a few arrowheads or old coins found outside of any specific historical context are okay to keep, or sell. But things like Civil War relics and Native American grave goods have contextual importance that shouldn't be lost. One of the first concepts that I learned as a nascent avocational archaeologist was that history belongs to all of us.

An interesting thing about the (presumably) hammer stone that you found at the burial ground is that it may have been one of the grave goods of someone who was a skilled artisan in projectile point manufacturing. From a personal perspective that makes it a very cool find. You hold in your hand a tool that was so important to the owner that it was buried with them. That's a lot more personal than the odd arrowhead that one might find out in a field.

I don't know if KY has an archaeological society, or State Archaeologist, but if I were you, I would definitely let them know about the location of the burial mounds. What you decide to do with your artifact is up to you.


-dex

more pics.

The piece of paper is 8.5 x 14 and white as snow in sunlight.

a reply to: bigfatfurrytexan

Yes there is much wear, but this is in an area that gets plowed/tilled so who knows what is natural and what is not?

There are scratches going perpendicular and parallel to the "blade". I will upload another close up of marks.

a reply to: DexterRiley

Yes i have seen "the law" shoot a boy here trying to kill himself. And then watched the cop that shot him have over 60 falsified police reports surface (one of them mine), and get off free and clear on everything. He did leave town.

Your friend is lucky to be alive.

I will not be trying to profit monetarily from this. Nor will i let the state of kentucky rape the land for their own selfish ends as they tend to do.

I would like to get in touch with someone who get get this info out to the proper native american authorities, and have it well documented, maybe even in litigation, before the state finds out.

finders keepers mate ,tell the state to get lost they have no right to claim this ,they just think they do
the planet belongs to everyone ,try telling a dolphin you have the sole fishing rights here ,the law has gone to far no one has the right to claim authority of this item except you the finder/harvester.

when the law has gone to far the law needs changing fullstop.

originally posted by: benwyatt
a reply to: DexterRiley

Nor will i let the state of kentucky rape the land for their own selfish ends as they tend to do.

You mean " Commonwealth of Kentucky "..... 😀😀😀. ......there's probably some old Indian family, or living within the area you found that, or Indian stores ? . I would seek them out and see if they have any knowledge on what it is. What part of Kentucky ?

a reply to: Meldionne1

Yes the "commonwealth".....the good old place where you can't drop criminal charges, have a statute of limitations, or drink a beer in your own backyard without being arrested for public intoxication.



~30 miles south-south-west of Bowling Green...... i live on what used to be a part of The Jim Bowie Homeplace in Prices Mill, Ky.

a reply to: benwyatt

Like accidentIy digging up someone's mother's grave and keeping a cool ring you find...although that IS achaeology...and artifacts should and need to be studied to learn from...

'would still go and put it back... Or give it to a tribal elder to place at or near where you found it... because you described it as a burial mound.... and you still will always have photos of you with it.

While I agree with most interpretations of what it may be... my gut feeling is to put it or give it back. Just me.....

MS/Cherokeee
Eastern Band
50%

PS I love history and without artifacts and their study...we would never learn about man. I guess its just your glee-ful photo and the "burial mound" description that troubled me...Again, just me......