12 replies to this topic

[sam]

Any ideas on this piece would be appreciated (the Black piece)....material is Stone, has clear working, formed blade, its backed, has what appears to be a seem running across its front/top? side but completely smooth on obverse ....i have added a similar looking piece which is Flint & clearly Palaeolithic in date, but the Stone piece?



http://i145.photobuc...nifescraper.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...ifeBackedsc.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...ifescrapero.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...Stoneknif-1.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...toneknifesc.jpg


http://i145.photobuc...nifescraper.jpg

[sam]

...isn't there any1 with suggestions?

[sam]

...oh well, i may as well add a few more pics....just a few other nice pieces i have amongst my array...something to look at atleast (although i may have added these before).... any ideas as to what the writing implement maybe would be helpful if any One knows? Its very light in weight, has clear rings engraved around the centre ( for grip i would assume?)

http://i145.photobuc.../Untitled55.jpg


http://i145.photobuc...withretouch.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...ouchobverse.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...uchretouchv.jpg


http://i145.photobuc...tAxeobverse.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...hicflintAxe.jpg


http://i145.photobuc...niceexample.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...niceexample.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...eoimplement.jpg


http://i145.photobuc...thicscraper.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...scrapersp-1.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...scrapersp-2.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...teimplement.jpg

[fossiler]

hi,sorry i cant help with identification of your items,but i just wanted to say that it was great looking through your pics,you have a great collection and good luck finding out what your pieces are.
fossiler

[kevin.b]

Same here, its not that I dont want to comment, but I suspect you need to have an eye for these things?
They sure seem to be purposely made , and the round pendant one looks similer to what people make now and use for dowsing?
Just a thought.
kevin

[sam]

...thanks fossiler, im glad you like them    ....Kevin, i understand where you're coming from my friend although i dont think this particular piece is a dowsing weight due to its weight which cant be any more than 1 - 2 Grams & also the point or end section is clearly worked down like its been used for a writing implement of some kind.....maybe a Saxon Stonemason's marker?...iv seen similar although they were quite a bit thicker & without detailed rings or any markings come to that but i suppose its plausable for a personalised piece.

[kevin.b]

Sam,
        I can't actually use a dowsing pendant as such, but I can understand the relevance, to the user.
The piece of material will always be a part of the origonal.
Therefore where ever it came from, it will remain part of that place.
It would be highly symbolic to the user , if the dowsing pendant was from where he/she origonated from.
I have recently been sent an almost identical piece of the preseli bluestone area .
this is hard to contemplate, but if you imagine that everything has its own field frequency, then no matter where any bits of it are, they will always vibrate to the same frequency.
Therefore no matter where you are, the off cut will always point to its origonal location.
Kevin

[sam]

I think (although not 100% sure lol) i know what you are saying...it got a bit jumbled up in there somewhere...had to read it 3 times & it still aint hitting the spot lol... but besides your theory regarding its original place of manufacture/residence, that could be anywhere....this piece is also rounded at the top & complete in all aspects, not a part of piece & found by the ancient trading Nene Valley river, could have come from absolutely anywhere as Neolithic Tin was the major commodity being transported from the very same place....so from lithic periods right through to Medieval trade usage, along this river, it wouldn't be plausable to hazard a guess at its original place or where abouts as it could be Hundreds of miles away as opposed to containing it in the immediate area or close in similar. Do you have any ideas regarding the other pieces?

Kindest Sam

[sam]

Have you Kev (or any1 else) got any knowledge on fossil tools? .....i found this large fossil Axe on my favourite hunting patch but have never found reference to any similar .......absolutely any ideas regarding date etc would be a bonus  

http://i145.photobuc...icFossilAxe.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...cFossilAxe3.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...cFossilAxe2.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...cFossilAxe1.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...y/Untitled5.jpg
http://i145.photobuc...y/Untitled4.jpg

Kindest Sam
PS: Check out Ebay listing# 160079684099

[Nigel]

I find a lot of these images and the large number of similar items you have on sale on Ebay a bit surprising. Also, that you say on Ebay you have 20,000 of them.

[sam]

Surprising in a good way Nigel? ...iv been an avid detectorist & field walker for the past 11 years & i can never resist picking up a lithic, whether its just a common scraper or an Axe if i come across either...these have a tendancy to accumulate over the years & before you know it you have quite alot, or a few Thousand in my case...no sites are pilfered for these, these are purely surface pickings found while either detecting or field walking...if i didnt pick them up some1 else would im sure as there are quite a few regular bodies that also frequent the same spots as myself, so now im just selling them off, just like any1 would do  

[Pete G]

Wow Sam 20,000 pieces! Where do you keep them all?  
No wonder you are selling a few of them off.
Some of the photos you showed I would class as early arrowheads.

I have hundred of artifacts that I have collected from all around Wiltshire over the years.
I show then to the local museums but they never want them as they already have so much that is similar.
I have seen large collections at bootsales that go for peanuts.
There are bronze aged burial urns for sale in a local shop for a mere £45.
PeteG

[sam]

Lol Pete, i'v got them all over the house, bedrooms, attic, under stairs, kitchen cupboards, kids bedrooms, living/dining rooms ....my wife says "our house looks like Chisel beach with all these stones?" lol bless her, she has her uses. Yes unfortunately lithics dont fetch as much as they used to 10 years or so ago, especially pieces like the common scraper (unless exceptionally nice) but out of the 6.5 Billion people out there, there's always a buyer & to be honest im not really bothered how much mine go for ....im being threatened by the wife to get rid or my pocket money stops so any reasonable offer made im willing to seriously consider lol

Sam