[meteorite-list] Artifact (yes) /Meteorite (???)

From: William Feek <lunarmajor_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 8 May 2014 19:57:48 -0700
Message-ID: <BAY178-W30D0F11A5070EBA251F460D0480_at_phx.gbl>

Hi All,

Today I purchased a Native American artifact on ebay which looks like it was made from a type 3 meteorite, one with a low subtype, check it out here............

http://www.ebay.com/itm/4-Pestle-Artifact-Tool-Minnesota-/331197226957?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fsch%2Fi.html%3FLH_Sold%3D1%26_from%3DR40%26LH_Complete%3D1%26_sacat%3D0%26_nkw%3D331197226957%26_rdc%3D1&nma=true&si=1gqoUs%252FqrTZ%252BfJo1ou3oWHcsyco%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

The seller used flash when shooting the images, doing so causes them to be blown out, so to counteract that I edited them in Microsoft Office by reducing the midtones by 38 which much improved them, the different colors show up a lot better and the stones true overall darkness is better able to be seen.


The seller wasn't sure what kind of artifact it is and implied it's a pestle, I have both pestles and plummets and this sure looks like a plummet to me. Maybe it's made out of a meteorite, maybe it's not, that remains to be seen, but if it is then I'm wondering what I'd do with such a thing, should it be cut and classified just like any other meteorite, should it be left as is because it's unique? What would you do with it, or any other artifact for that matter which is made from a stony meteorite, if it was yours?


It'll be an anxious wait till it arrives, but when it does and if it truly does end up being meteoric, I'll follow up with some nice images of it.


William
Received on Thu 08 May 2014 10:57:48 PM PDT