Big Holla's Rock Hounding Thread

[Big_Holla]

It's a form of hunting for us and something we all look forward to doing when we get down to Ohio. Rock hounding has been something I was able to do since I was a little kid down there in the stream on our farm. We have many years of finding things such as fossils, neat stones, petrified wood and even a couple of Indian arrowheads. I am so glad that we are able to share this place with my kids and hopefully their kids for years to come.

As a tribute to the man that got me hooked on the search for the coolest rock, here is my dad as we enjoyed some time on the stream this past June. There he is holding one of our treasures, another piece of petrified wood.

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0188.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0189.jpg

Back in the late winter of this year my wife and I and our two kids, Jenna and Allen, were able to enjoy some of that time on the stream as well. Kids being just what they should be....kids! Great to get away from the crazy softball schedule for my daughter and the video games for my son!!

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/Jenna-and-Allen-big_holla.jpg

I hope to add to this post on every trip we make so hopefully it will become an interesting one for you all to enjoy!!

[Big_Holla]

This stone has me baffled. It has a perfect hole through it that actually resembles threads. I believe it is a piece of flint type material with a softer stone on the edges, including the place the hole is located. Looking at many examples of Indian artifacts on the internet most holes are not this perfect. It just doesn't make much sense what could have caused it and have that rock be 1/3 of a mile from any house or road and smack dab in the middle of where we have found Indian arrowheads before. If you have any ideas please post up your comments!!

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0190.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0270.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0271.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0274.jpg

[Big_Holla]

The next rock I found did not 'fit' with our stream and is also baffling me as well. It has scrapes on it in uniform lines and even a bevel on the one end that seems to fit a finger or perhaps a thumb. Very hard rock I believe but just not sure what to make of it. Perhaps for napping flint?? Again, this was found right in the area we have found arrowheads before.

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0275.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0276.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0280.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0282.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0281.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0288.jpg

[Big_Holla]

Here is one of the best fossil rocks I have found in a while. Actually appears to still have some of the shell in there.

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0285.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0279.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0283.jpg

[buckbuster217]

Really neat finds Chuck, can't help ya out on any of them though, the one with the hole in it is very intriguing though, it actually looks like it was tapped for threads

[Big_Holla]

Really neat finds Chuck, can't help ya out on any of them though, the one with the hole in it is very intriguing though, it actually looks like it was tapped for threads

Yeah that's what a couple others have said and I agree. Just cannot figure out what in the world someone would do that for and to find it down in the stream like that.

[hortontoter]

Interesting finds and a fun hobby. Not sure about the size/length of the creek. But maybe at one time there was a mill or waterwheel somewhere upstream. The threaded rock could have been used for a mechanical application or maybe a shim of sorts. Definately an interesting rock that sure appears to have been threaded for a specific application.

[quackaholic]

Great way to get your family outside. Thumbs up man.

[Big_Holla]

Next time I am back down I will show it to my uncle since he has owned the farm since he was young. Perhaps he can figure out the tapped looking hole. Thanks for the comments fella's!!

[Seeker Bp]

Great thread Big...didn't know that you were a rock hound.. I have a pretty sick collection of rocks, minerals, and artifacts. Been collecting since a youngster. Looks like a fishing net weight, maybe someone discovered a faster way of coring stone. Pretty interesting....will have to get back to a point where I can Breath, and I will post some neat pics...

[Big_Holla]

Look forward to seeing some stuff from you on this SeekerBP!! Never would have thought about a weight. Hmm, my uncle used to always put a minnow trap in the creek near there but I think he just put a couple rocks inside to weigh it down. Good possibility tho. You have any good information on artifacts at all? I search the internet and seems I mostly find stuff people are selling, not really anything that explains what some things would be used for or even what to look for.

[Big_Holla]

OK, so asking on an artifact forum a couple guys think the "threaded hole" is an actual fossil from what they called a crinoid, sea "animals with rough, spiny surfaces and a special kind of radial symmetry based on five or multiples of five."

http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Extension/fossils/crinoid.html

After re-examining the hole I determined the rings actually do not spiral down but are single continuous rings which would support the idea of them being a crinoid. Pretty dang cool though!!

[hortontoter]

Looks like a logical explanation. And like you said, pretty dang cool.

[Big_Holla]

So one of the explanations a member of the artifact forum for the red colored rock below was with the smoothness and apparent scraping marks, that it is a hematite stone and it likely use was to be scraped off into a powder form, mixed with fats and oils and used for painting. Painting faces, horses, etc.. Very interesting......

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0275.jpg

[Big_Holla]

So last night I decide to do some looking at some of my past finds, looking for some petrified wood to show you all, and to my surprise the red stone above wasn't the first hematite stone I have found. Here are several more that I collected over the years. The one in the top right corner, and shown further below, was worn very similar to the one above.

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0314.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0306.jpg

[Big_Holla]

Here are just a few of the petrified wood we have found over the years. Some pieces are large, some very small but here are a few of the good ones!! We have found many different colors and these 3 are good examples of the varying color.

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0307.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0309.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0311.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0310.jpg

[Big_Holla]

Here is the pride of my small collection. These 2 arrowheads were found within about 30 yards of each other in the stream, in the Big Holla!! Love the color of these too!!

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0302.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0303.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0304.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0305.jpg

[buckstalker17]

This stone has me baffled. It has a perfect hole through it that actually resembles threads. I believe it is a piece of flint type material with a softer stone on the edges, including the place the hole is located. Looking at many examples of Indian artifacts on the internet most holes are not this perfect. It just doesn't make much sense what could have caused it and have that rock be 1/3 of a mile from any house or road and smack dab in the middle of where we have found Indian arrowheads before. If you have any ideas please post up your comments!!

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0190.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0270.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0271.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0274.jpg

it looks like at onetime it was part of some kind of anchor like a bridge sure is cool for sure though makes me wonder if i try it once maybe i can find some gold yea baby

[buckstalker17]

Here is the pride of my small collection. These 2 arrowheads were found within about 30 yards of each other in the stream, in the Big Holla!! Love the color of these too!!

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0302.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0303.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0304.jpg

http://i817.photobucket.com/albums/zz91/crowesnest6173/Rock-Hounding/IMG_0305.jpg

i have to know did you ever think about it you know what i mean if the would fly true and how far off a new generation bow

[Big_Holla]

it looks like at onetime it was part of some kind of anchor like a bridge sure is cool for sure though makes me wonder if i try it once maybe i can find some gold yea baby

Yep, my mind was really thinking of what it could have been used for but the likelihood that it is simply a fossil is just as cool as well. You don't know how many gold shows I've watched over the years and thought about panning in that stream LOL!! Not many, if any, reports of them ever finding any in that whole area though so I think for now I'll stick to the arrowhead as my treasure!!


i have to know did you ever think about it you know what i mean if the would fly true and how far off a new generation bow

Oh yes, even just the thought of some guys who have made their own and used them on traditional equipment is so cool. I just love this stuff!!