Rock Identification Help

[mother4]

Hey guys,

I've had this rock for years and had always wondered what it actually was. I know that I found it by a river in Vancouver, Canada, but I don't remember the exact location. I thought it may just be a chunk of iron but the outside just looks like a normal rock. Any ideas?

 

[Johnho]

just a scientific wild ass guess but it sure looks like it could be glacier worn meteorite.

 

[Odanscoils]

Actually.
Not sure what it's made of.
Looks a hide rub stone.
I found one decades ago.
Hold it in your hand.
Do you feel worn pattern like it molds to your hand as in using it to rub something ?
Mine had thumb and finger groves worn in for rubbing deer hides.
Must have been used for many years.
Looking at it thru a loop/magnifier.
I could still see hide fabric stuck in the stone.
Mine was quartzite.
Or a grain grinding stone.

 

[mother4]

Actually.
Not sure what it's made of.
Looks a hide rub stone.
I found one decades ago.
Hold it in your hand.
Do you feel worn pattern like it molds to your hand as in using it to rub something ?
Mine had thumb and finger groves worn in for rubbing deer hides.
Must have been used for many years.
Looking at it thru a loop/magnifier.
I could still see hide fabric stuck in the stone.
Mine was quartzite.
Or a grain grinding stone.

It doesn't really fit comfortably in my hand in any particular way. It's quite small, less than 5cm across, and also quite smooth except for the rusted looking part. I don't think it would be great for that, but I've never rubbed hide or ground grain so I wouldn't know. Are these stones usually that small?

 

[mother4]

just a scientific wild ass guess but it sure looks like it could be glacier worn meteorite.

That would be pretty cool. If it is a meteorite, would it not be more likely that it was worn by the river instead of a glacier?

 

[Odanscoils]

It doesn't really fit comfortably in my hand in any particular way. It's quite small, less than 5cm across, and also quite smooth except for the rusted looking part. I don't think it would be great for that, but I've never rubbed hide or ground grain so I wouldn't know. Are these stones usually that small?

Typically a woman did that work.
Much smaller hands.
I'm just seeing a hand wear pattern.
That knob would be the palm between the thumb is what I see.
Hand wrapping around it.
And obviously a chunk is broken off making it more uncomfortable.

 

[mother4]

Typically a woman did that work.
Much smaller hands.
I'm just seeing a hand wear pattern.
That knob would be the palm between the thumb is what I see.
Hand wrapping around it.
And obviously a chunk is broken off making it more uncomfortable.

I can kinda see what you're saying. Do they go by any other names? I can't seem to find much on hide rubbing stones.

 

[Odanscoils]

I can kinda see what you're saying. Do they go by any other names? I can't seem to find much on hide rubbing stones.

There very rare.
Here's one similar to yours.
Most people don't see them as anything unique.

https://share.google/2zFXKLoVllttzU8Nz

Their uniqueness determines there value.
https://share.google/BxFuURR2sLkuSNrdv

What stones did Native Americans use as tools in the Northeast? - Quora https://share.google/xMqbbgTmw3MbGuUfq

 

[Odanscoils]

I searched.

American artifact rub stones

And

American artifact stone tools

 

[mother4]

There very rare.
Here's one similar to yours.
Most people don't see them as anything unique.

https://share.google/2zFXKLoVllttzU8Nz

Their uniqueness determines there value.
https://share.google/BxFuURR2sLkuSNrdv

What stones did Native Americans use as tools in the Northeast? - Quora https://share.google/xMqbbgTmw3MbGuUfq

I'm still really struggling to find this "rub" stone. I've found stones used to scrape hides and stones used to grind food but I really doubt this stone would be used for those. I found this list of the stone tools used by the indigenous people in the area, and it doesn't seem to match any. Also, the stone is slightly attracted to a magnet, if that changes anything.

 

[Odanscoils]

Did you look at what I sent ?

Rub stones were used to finish the hide making it ultra soft.

Wish yours wasn't damaged.

They used what ever stone that was hard and durable.
A quartz magnetite would have been a good one.

As I said hide rub stones are not very common.
Typically handed down thru generations.
Mine i believe was buried with the owner.
Some rich ahole bulldozed off a grave site into the grand river to prevent anyone stopping him from building.
Found many interesting things in that river decades later.
I was working mids on storm duty restoring power after a storm.

Had to do a little patrolling beside this bridge.
In my headlamp light the stone was actually glowing like a beacon.

Wet it was a beautiful piece.

Get it wet look at it under a weak light.
Try a UV light too.

That really looks hand worn and tool worn to me.

 

[Johnho]

That would be pretty cool. If it is a meteorite, would it not be more likely that it was worn by the river instead of a glacier?

Sure it's possible. Vancouver had many glaciers that have since retreated and formed rivers. If you have a rock and gem club near you see if someone can cut a small piece off of it to see the internal structure. This done on many meteorites to see what kind it is. And by small I mean small. Don't cut it in half or such. You just want to see what it is composed and the structure. Sure looks interesting to me.

 

[Odanscoils]

I'm still really struggling to find this "rub" stone. I've found stones used to scrape hides and stones used to grind food but I really doubt this stone would be used for those. I found this list of the stone tools used by the indigenous people in the area, and it doesn't seem to match any. Also, the stone is slightly attracted to a magnet, if that changes anything.

Get a 30× magnifier.
Look across the surface of the bottom of the stone.
Not directly at it.
See if there's any fine fibers sticking out.
Mine is well over a hundred years old.
In the river for who knows how long.

And it still has fibers poking out.