Expert: Ralph Salier - 5/18/2010

Question
QUESTION: hello i was recently hunting arrowheads in my field and stumbled upon this rock, was just wondering if it could possibly be anything of importance,or from the indians thanks, mr mason

ANSWER: Hi Mr. Mason,

If you send me photos of the rock.  Please be sure to place a ruler or other measuring device next to the rock so that I have an idea of scale.  Also take photos of different sides and angles of the rock.  Please send them to me at rsalier@hotmail.com and put "interesting rock" in the subject line.

Thanks

Ralph

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: here is the stone, thanks

Answer
Mr. Mason,

From this pic. it looks like a disk about 2" in diameter and perhaps 1/2" thick.  It looks like it may have some chips out of the far side but it looks relatively smooth other wise.   From the coloration, it may be a sand stone or quartzite of some type.  

Small disk like stones were used for various purposes from bird net weights to boiling stones to "sling stones".   These are "ground stone" tools typically so should have an almost shiny appearance in most cases.  Often not recognized by the collecting public as artifacts.  I once found a cash of such disks in a pot that had the remnants of duck and goose feathers in the pot along with a type of marsh grass found to have been used to make nets.  There were some 12 of these small disks in the pot.  

The site the pot was found in was along the Illinois River about 40 miles north of St. Louis MO.  and associated with Mississippian materials.  The Illinois and Mississippi river systems are a critical Spring and Fall fly zone for migratory fowl which helps to identify site use on occasion.  This site was on the bank of what was an oxbow lake left behind by a meander of the Illinois River.  These oxbow lakes were rich in fish, plant life and ideal for migratory fowl as a rest stop.

Where did you find your disk?