Please Help Identify this Artifact

Please help identify the culture responsible for this object and it’s age.

An acquaintance of mine found this stone in an agricultural field in Alberta, Canada

It is a relief style carving from what appears to be local field stone (not verified). It is about the size of a dinner plate. The smallest diameter is about 20.3 cm and the largest diameter is about 21.6cm. It is about 2.5cm thick. The relief stands out about 3-4mm and the outside diameter of the circle in the depiction is about 8cm.

The back of the artifact is deeply scarred from modern agricultural machinery, however there is also a carving visible on the back from a completely different method used on the front. It is the more typical thin line scraped carving seen in very old petroglyphs. I’m hoping somebody recognizes this symbol.

The stone is much darker than it appears in the images. Where it has been recently chipped it is a very uniform single shade of black and is very granite like.

So much careful work was put into this artifact that I believe it had considerable importance. Artifacts like this are not common for the area and I don't know if it might be completely unique. We see a lot of tools (arrow heads, hammer stones) but not elaborate stone artwork like this.

oh wow, that is gorgeous. Thankfully the back, from an aesthetic point of view, was what took the brunt of the plow.

It looks very interesting indeed. You don't have anything in your area (museum maybe) that you guys could take this to and let them have a go at it? Usually folks in this field are more than happy to look at what you have found at no charge. If your local museum can't do it (and nobody here can do it) they should at least be able to give you the names of a few places you could go that CAN tell you what it is (what they assume it is at any rate).



I couldn't resist pulling out Tsoukalos for this one. I am always curious about things like this. I hope someone can help you with your mystery!

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


Yeah, that was my very first thought as well. Considering how many times it was swacked it's an amazing stroke of luck that it didn't flip over. Some of the grooves are very deep and I'm amazed that it didn't break into pieces.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan



I think the top of this plate took the damage unfortunately. If you look under the obvious new striations it appears to me that there is a glyph.

reply to post by CraftBuilder


i suspect that its granite. Which is interesting in itself, as the quality of the carving on the front relief is surprisingly high if it is granite. Your assessment of the value to its maker and original owner (be they the same or different people) is probably very accurate.

It really is beautiful. You seem to have a fine display for it. I don't think I could do it justice in my home.

ezekielken
reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan

 

I think the top of this plate took the damage unfortunately. If you look under the obvious new striations it appears to me that there is a glyph.

I didn't notice that before. It almost looks like a pterodactyl.

reply to post by ezekielken


Well, if there are similar examples of those glyphs in the history of the region, it would certainly aid in identifying it a little more. That is certain. But from the aesthetic point of view, the glyph is chicken scratch up against its other side, where a real gem of stoneworking craftsmanship sits almost completely undamaged. If you were to create this object for sale, you would place the higher value on the object on the part which required the most work.

That relief is the mark that this object was significant.

reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe


Apparently it was shown to a museum. I don't know how much of a chance they had to research it but they weren't really able to provide many answers. They weren't really keen to give it back though.

Besides, I'm really keen to give ATS a go at it. I've seen the talent and enthusiasm at work here and with the potential from the many people in the field who visit this site, it's my opinion that we'll learn more here than relying on the opinion of one expert at one museum.

I'm guessing it was used to grind corn in to corn meal. The side that looks like the sun is probably the bottom that sits on the ground while the other side has a lip that helps keep the corn meal from spilling out.

American indian corn grinder

My guess for whatever that's worth.

CraftBuilder
reply to post by Kangaruex4Ewe

 

Apparently it was shown to a museum. I don't know how much of a chance they had to research it but they weren't really able to provide many answers. They weren't really keen to give it back though.

Besides, I'm really keen to give ATS a go at it. I've seen the talent and enthusiasm at work here and with the potential from the many people in the field who visit this site, it's my opinion that we'll learn more here than relying on the opinion of one expert at one museum.

I bet they weren't quick to want to give it back. That was one thing I considered when I made the suggestion. You don't know who will decide that you don't own it anymore after they see it.

We do have tons of smart folks here and you may very well find the answer you are looking for. I don't care who finds it.... I really want to know what it is, what it means, and what it was used for. I'm nosey that way.

Wonder if it might be a cap for a clay vessel?

reply to post by CraftBuilder


The second pic there is two Anarchy signs together. See today's other threads.

reply to post by CraftBuilder


It looks like a coin that was used by the immortal giants that used to live here.

(...while doing my best Cliff Claven impression...)

..yeah, that there looks like a Monogorovian decision stone from the late mesaguatalaharan era in the American SouthWest... you see the one sign represented by the rays clearly would indicate the Sun... you know... that would be heads. The other side is quite interesting indeed... it represents the goonaganoonganana monster that ruled the underworld... it kinda looks like two conjoined angry beavers with arms outstretched indicating that they welcome the damned... that of course would be tails...

I could keep going...

reply to post by madmac5150


Well at least I was close.

I would guess that it is a sort of a flat-bread plate to
bake the bread on hot coals, the 'sun' design is just
coincidentally the underside support.
(why have a rim just on the one side)
. . . just my opinion.

Nice find do you know the general area? My guess is that it is some sort of Medicine wheel.

The back carving reminds me of Nose Hill in Calgary which was an important landmark for Natives in the bow river valley. That would make sense because lots of medicine grows there.

There is also lots of evidence of stone tool manufacturing in that location.

But if its from another area then it could be something entirely different?

quote] TheLieWeLive
I'm guessing it was used to grind corn in to corn meal. The side that looks like the sun is probably the bottom that sits on the ground while the other side has a lip that helps keep the corn meal from spilling out.


My guess for whatever that's worth.

My thoughts exactly. Looks a bit like this www.ebay.com...

reply to post by CraftBuilder

Being simplistic, it looks like a vase/planter holder.
The markings on the opposite side remind me of a treasure map...
Treasure/s, of course, come in many flavors.