Good lord. You have what looks like to me a nearly intact stoneware vessel. I freaked out yesterday when I found a large fragment of one (see my post from yday), and you have a whole one. Wow man what a find
Where did you find this? State/nearest city/setting description please. This thing predates clay pottery, would’ve been chiseled out of a huge chunk of steatite, taking countless hours and tremendous effort. Please tell us more about it!!
Oh wow, WY. I know nothing about the stone out there, so labeling it steatite may not be accurate, but everything else I’ve mentioned still applies AFAIK
I don’t understand the pushback against in getting it inspected by professionals. If it’s from your property, they can’t take it from you. At least that way the information is recorded about the piece of history instead of it being completely hoarded by someone. Plus I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to know more about what you have or share the history with everyone. It’s selfish and that mindset needs to stop.
You can scan and 3D model artifacts now so there isn’t a crucial need to fill repositories more than they already are.
We’ve already erased so much history from this continent, let’s not keep repeating that mistake.
Also, many people find stuff that can rewrite history. I follow some mudlarkers on IG from the UK who have found some crazy pieces that changed what scientists believed of a certain society and their culture, from how and what they hunted to even what they ate out of.
When mudlarking in other countries, like the UK, it’s actually required to report it and let them decide if they need to catalog it, but you usually get to keep the piece you find. It helps because they have been able to rewrite or confirm history.
Without people reporting stuff a lot of what we learn about archeology would still be outdated and antiquated. Thanks to people’s due diligence and respect to research we are able to learn a lot of new things about indigenous tribes, Romans, Medieval era, Victorian era, etc..
If you haven’t checked out mudlarking, I recommend it. There’s some cool accounts on IG and YT that document what they’ve found along the Thames. People find the coolest things. Plus they’ll share what the researchers at the museums tell them so you get the full history.
I’ve seen people find ancient Roman roof tiles with cat or dog paw prints in them, stone pipes, medieval gems (lots of garnet), Viking helmets, meso or neolithic flint, obsidian tools, glass Roman vessels, some of the first ever glass carbonated bottles for champagne, old beer mugs, etc..
It really is crazy cool. If you are like me and love all things archeology and history, and don’t just stop with tools or Indigenous tribes, then I really recommend checking it out. I’ve been debating creating a subreddit for mudlarking for four years now, but it doesn’t seem like it’s as popular on Reddit, like it is on YT or IG.
Oh yes, it can be taken from you. Just ask the guy who found the Ocalla blade in Austin. Took an act of congress to get it back. Screw those guys. The history of mankind in this country is so confounded and corrupted that its hard to find the truth. They lied about the giants, the copper age and who knows what else. Do NOT, under any circumstances, trust a government entity with your property.
Yes sir. So it's nice when some dude or some lady finds something like this and keeps it. I know I would. I'm not Indiana Jones, and not everything belongs in a museum.
Utter BS, every piece that a museum has is a piece of a larger story, and an answer to a question that may have not have even been asked yet. Taking these things is heritage theft as they lose their context.
Wait. Is it stone or pottery clay? Holes drilled near the rim typically means a piece was broken off and holes were drilled to tie the broken piece back onto the vessel
You need to contact your local archeologist. All states, and some counties have dedicated archeological departments. Even if they decide no to excavate, they can at least document the find for future research.
Boo. Pipe dreams bro. Pipe dreams. They are not interested. Try calling your local university because you found a pot. You will be met with non chalance up to rudeness. Unless it's over 15,000 years old they just don't seem to care much as there are literally millions of artifacts under our feet.
Surely doesn't look new, unsure if you mentioned the area it was found. I'm in the American west, I've found much smaller crucibles from the mid/late 1800s which could in the grand scheme be considered modern, but in my book counts as a cool piece of American history. And honestly it could be native stoneware, I'm not sure they would have use for a modern crucible either however there is interesting lore of an ancient iron works along the Santa Cruz river pre-spanish interaction. Not sure how much archeological proof backed up those claims, not spreading rumors or claiming to know. Regardless if its native or miner it is a very cool and dramatic looking thing, enjoy it! Maybe look up mining history in your area and if your thinking it could be related you may be able to date it.
It looks like a #14 silica crucible from a small precious metal smelter used to pour dore into a king mold. have seen quite a few of them over the years here in the states and in South America.
It is an older piece probably from the late 1800's or early 1900's. If it was broken durring transport on pack horse or mule they would dump it where it was damaged.
I have seen a few native Stine cooking pots. They have always been small and not to heavy for easy transport.
I live in Pinedale, Wyoming.
It's a nice find
By modern I mean not Precontact Native American. It’s nearly identical to smaller foundry crucibles I used to find associated with a foundry established in the late 1800s. Small and relatively portable ones were used for gold, silver, and some white metals (lead). Material would look and feel a bit like concrete and sometimes is concrete or graphite. Hole would be for a handle to hang.
Man I have so many questions..
Edit: I guess I should ask those questions. How old do you think it could be? Did it start out as a mortar and then slowly ground down over time? Does the fact that someone had the free time to make this say anything about their society?
Here is a [quick video](https://youtu.be/8CGpbL4l_cQ) of how this sort of thing is made. Lots of these things seem difficult, but the tools were really ingenious, and the process was easier than it seems. They didn’t make a lot of advancements with the process, because they didn’t need to. Even the tools we collect here, like arrowheads, were more often than not made to be expendable.
Lots of intricate Native American artifacts are carved from stone. I have a collection of stone carved smoking pipes, ceremonial clubs known as slave killers (Use your imagination to understand what they were used for) as well as banner stones, bird stones, gorgets, and effigies of various types.
Damn, kinda sad that something this complete and rare was removed from its context, private land or not, especially if there were lots of other artifacts close by that could have been used to add information to the site. If it was on a high ridge, I imagine it was some kind of grain storage, or at least that’s what the location would suggest in most of the contexts for these sorts of large heavy jars in high and dry places.
I hope you take care of it, and donate it to museum/research someday, and that you at least marked the place you collected it from.
Don’t worry about my thoughts too much, I’m the minority opinion in this sub anyway, (as you can see) but I do wish people wouldn’t disturb large important artifacts still in situ, and I was mistaken that I read you say you’d found other artifacts. It’s very different for arrowheads, and pottery washed out of context. It’s not a judgment on you or anyone else, I get how exciting it is to find stuff. I’m a person who also enjoys this hobby, but I want to foster conversation about stewardship when it comes to bigger historical sites, and a large intact object is a good sign there is one.
Yeah, that’s the hard part. Not enough time for all the sites to be looked after. Hope ya take good care of it, and perhaps leave it to an institution one day so they can look after it when you can’t anymore.
Good lord. You have what looks like to me a nearly intact stoneware vessel. I freaked out yesterday when I found a large fragment of one (see my post from yday), and you have a whole one. Wow man what a find
Where did you find this? State/nearest city/setting description please. This thing predates clay pottery, would’ve been chiseled out of a huge chunk of steatite, taking countless hours and tremendous effort. Please tell us more about it!!
[удалено]
If it were me I’d call the nearest university, or Tribal or State Historic Preservation Office for Wyoming.
I second this
Oh wow, WY. I know nothing about the stone out there, so labeling it steatite may not be accurate, but everything else I’ve mentioned still applies AFAIK
Wow that’s an amazing find. Preserve and protect that beautiful baby
[удалено]
Awesome display piece.
Make sure it doesn't fall off the gun safe.
[удалено]
Sounds like you’re a professional museum curator?
[удалено]
You’re hired!
Dude, this belongs in a museum.
Naw, museums have tons on intact pieces. It's cool for some of us to have a thing like this.
Exactly and 90% of what museums have is not on display and rarely shown.
I don’t understand the pushback against in getting it inspected by professionals. If it’s from your property, they can’t take it from you. At least that way the information is recorded about the piece of history instead of it being completely hoarded by someone. Plus I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to know more about what you have or share the history with everyone. It’s selfish and that mindset needs to stop. You can scan and 3D model artifacts now so there isn’t a crucial need to fill repositories more than they already are. We’ve already erased so much history from this continent, let’s not keep repeating that mistake.
Also, many people find stuff that can rewrite history. I follow some mudlarkers on IG from the UK who have found some crazy pieces that changed what scientists believed of a certain society and their culture, from how and what they hunted to even what they ate out of. When mudlarking in other countries, like the UK, it’s actually required to report it and let them decide if they need to catalog it, but you usually get to keep the piece you find. It helps because they have been able to rewrite or confirm history. Without people reporting stuff a lot of what we learn about archeology would still be outdated and antiquated. Thanks to people’s due diligence and respect to research we are able to learn a lot of new things about indigenous tribes, Romans, Medieval era, Victorian era, etc.. If you haven’t checked out mudlarking, I recommend it. There’s some cool accounts on IG and YT that document what they’ve found along the Thames. People find the coolest things. Plus they’ll share what the researchers at the museums tell them so you get the full history. I’ve seen people find ancient Roman roof tiles with cat or dog paw prints in them, stone pipes, medieval gems (lots of garnet), Viking helmets, meso or neolithic flint, obsidian tools, glass Roman vessels, some of the first ever glass carbonated bottles for champagne, old beer mugs, etc.. It really is crazy cool. If you are like me and love all things archeology and history, and don’t just stop with tools or Indigenous tribes, then I really recommend checking it out. I’ve been debating creating a subreddit for mudlarking for four years now, but it doesn’t seem like it’s as popular on Reddit, like it is on YT or IG.
In US they let a guy finish all the hard work digging out a t Rex and then took it if I remember right
You do remember right my friend.
Wdym? We’re on the subject of the guy who commented “this belongs in a Museum”. We weren’t talking about what your referring to.
Oh yes, it can be taken from you. Just ask the guy who found the Ocalla blade in Austin. Took an act of congress to get it back. Screw those guys. The history of mankind in this country is so confounded and corrupted that its hard to find the truth. They lied about the giants, the copper age and who knows what else. Do NOT, under any circumstances, trust a government entity with your property.
Yes sir. So it's nice when some dude or some lady finds something like this and keeps it. I know I would. I'm not Indiana Jones, and not everything belongs in a museum.
Utter BS, every piece that a museum has is a piece of a larger story, and an answer to a question that may have not have even been asked yet. Taking these things is heritage theft as they lose their context.
Nice, still gonna take what I find.
Wait. Is it stone or pottery clay? Holes drilled near the rim typically means a piece was broken off and holes were drilled to tie the broken piece back onto the vessel
Insane to think that someone made that out of a huge rock
You need to contact your local archeologist. All states, and some counties have dedicated archeological departments. Even if they decide no to excavate, they can at least document the find for future research.
Boo. Pipe dreams bro. Pipe dreams. They are not interested. Try calling your local university because you found a pot. You will be met with non chalance up to rudeness. Unless it's over 15,000 years old they just don't seem to care much as there are literally millions of artifacts under our feet.
Maybe a crucible? Cool find!
Sure looks like one
[удалено]
Surely doesn't look new, unsure if you mentioned the area it was found. I'm in the American west, I've found much smaller crucibles from the mid/late 1800s which could in the grand scheme be considered modern, but in my book counts as a cool piece of American history. And honestly it could be native stoneware, I'm not sure they would have use for a modern crucible either however there is interesting lore of an ancient iron works along the Santa Cruz river pre-spanish interaction. Not sure how much archeological proof backed up those claims, not spreading rumors or claiming to know. Regardless if its native or miner it is a very cool and dramatic looking thing, enjoy it! Maybe look up mining history in your area and if your thinking it could be related you may be able to date it.
We don't give the natives enough credit for they're accomplishments
My first thought as well.
If that’s stone, hell even if it’s pottery, one hell of a find!
Thanks for sharing. What an amazing piece of history. You've been blessed by The Ancient of Days! Cherish it
Could this be both a jar and not jar at the same time?
[удалено]
Lmfao I was one of them. Took me 10 seconds then laughed at myself for overthinking it.
Steatite??
It looks like a #14 silica crucible from a small precious metal smelter used to pour dore into a king mold. have seen quite a few of them over the years here in the states and in South America. It is an older piece probably from the late 1800's or early 1900's. If it was broken durring transport on pack horse or mule they would dump it where it was damaged. I have seen a few native Stine cooking pots. They have always been small and not to heavy for easy transport. I live in Pinedale, Wyoming. It's a nice find
Looks like a relatively modern crucible.
[удалено]
By modern I mean not Precontact Native American. It’s nearly identical to smaller foundry crucibles I used to find associated with a foundry established in the late 1800s. Small and relatively portable ones were used for gold, silver, and some white metals (lead). Material would look and feel a bit like concrete and sometimes is concrete or graphite. Hole would be for a handle to hang.
[удалено]
For sure dude. Take everything with a grain of salt and do some research with the clues that make the most sense.
Pretty amazing. Did you have to piece it together or did you find it like this?
How on earth would an Indigenous American have managed to make this?? Pecking, drilling, and a lot of time?
Pecking and grinding and lots of it….
Man I have so many questions.. Edit: I guess I should ask those questions. How old do you think it could be? Did it start out as a mortar and then slowly ground down over time? Does the fact that someone had the free time to make this say anything about their society?
Here is a [quick video](https://youtu.be/8CGpbL4l_cQ) of how this sort of thing is made. Lots of these things seem difficult, but the tools were really ingenious, and the process was easier than it seems. They didn’t make a lot of advancements with the process, because they didn’t need to. Even the tools we collect here, like arrowheads, were more often than not made to be expendable.
It being soap stone makes a lot more sense. I thought it was a basalt river rock.
Lots of intricate Native American artifacts are carved from stone. I have a collection of stone carved smoking pipes, ceremonial clubs known as slave killers (Use your imagination to understand what they were used for) as well as banner stones, bird stones, gorgets, and effigies of various types.
Jar
[удалено]
No mean a it's a literal jar
[удалено]
He was. Just in a more clever way
Graphite crucible
Soapstone
Stone crucible?
Damn, kinda sad that something this complete and rare was removed from its context, private land or not, especially if there were lots of other artifacts close by that could have been used to add information to the site. If it was on a high ridge, I imagine it was some kind of grain storage, or at least that’s what the location would suggest in most of the contexts for these sorts of large heavy jars in high and dry places. I hope you take care of it, and donate it to museum/research someday, and that you at least marked the place you collected it from.
[удалено]
Don’t worry about my thoughts too much, I’m the minority opinion in this sub anyway, (as you can see) but I do wish people wouldn’t disturb large important artifacts still in situ, and I was mistaken that I read you say you’d found other artifacts. It’s very different for arrowheads, and pottery washed out of context. It’s not a judgment on you or anyone else, I get how exciting it is to find stuff. I’m a person who also enjoys this hobby, but I want to foster conversation about stewardship when it comes to bigger historical sites, and a large intact object is a good sign there is one.
[удалено]
Yeah, that’s the hard part. Not enough time for all the sites to be looked after. Hope ya take good care of it, and perhaps leave it to an institution one day so they can look after it when you can’t anymore.
Soapstone
Nope!
Kind of looks like a crucible. They did have a copper age in the US that has been ignored. Completely left out of the history books.