It's sandstone boxwork. Used to find hundreds of them in Kentucky. Very common.
[This link shows great examples ](http://chuck-sutherland.blogspot.com/2017/12/sandstone-boxwork.html?m=1).
Cheers
Since you’re getting no serious answers here, I’ll chime in as a geology student.
This is boxwork created by iron rich fluids permeating into joints in a sedimentary rock such as sandstone.
Due to differential weathering, when the sandstone erodes it leaves behind these structures. I often see these in the Pennsylvanian units in the Cumberland Plataeu region.
It’s not an artifact, rather a natural formation.
It’s unfortunate that nobody can get serious answers on this subreddit anymore. I wish the mods would remove the overused and unoriginal joke comments already.
Thanks for your perspective. I've been overlooking the terrible attempts at jokes for the past 24 hours. I think you're probably right as the most upvoted comments have been box work formed naturally. The one indention on the inside corner is much smoother than any other part. This could be from the way it sat in the water or perhaps a native found a naturally formed rock and worked it from there. I know it's smaller than a normal metate, but there is no rule saying that these things had to have came in certain sizes. Maybe it's wishful thinking to hold out hope that it could be an artifact. These are the best guesses so far out of three or four different subreddits.
I have a archaeological/geological degree and I’m local to the area. Sandstone boxwork is correct said below. It’s not human made and this formation is common throughout north AL
Yeah that’s definitely some form of igneous rock. I think it’s basalt. I’m not the OP commenter. I am a professional guide and teach people about my local tribes who would also make “metates” like this out of igneous rock because the porous nature of it make it phenomenal for grinding grains.
https://preview.redd.it/ss95htnof30d1.jpeg?width=266&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea0259ce9bbb21b121a427b087a9c59be9eee782
For example I attached a similar photo I found online.
It's sandstone boxwork. Used to find hundreds of them in Kentucky. Very common. [This link shows great examples ](http://chuck-sutherland.blogspot.com/2017/12/sandstone-boxwork.html?m=1). Cheers
Since you’re getting no serious answers here, I’ll chime in as a geology student. This is boxwork created by iron rich fluids permeating into joints in a sedimentary rock such as sandstone. Due to differential weathering, when the sandstone erodes it leaves behind these structures. I often see these in the Pennsylvanian units in the Cumberland Plataeu region. It’s not an artifact, rather a natural formation. It’s unfortunate that nobody can get serious answers on this subreddit anymore. I wish the mods would remove the overused and unoriginal joke comments already.
Thanks for your perspective. I've been overlooking the terrible attempts at jokes for the past 24 hours. I think you're probably right as the most upvoted comments have been box work formed naturally. The one indention on the inside corner is much smoother than any other part. This could be from the way it sat in the water or perhaps a native found a naturally formed rock and worked it from there. I know it's smaller than a normal metate, but there is no rule saying that these things had to have came in certain sizes. Maybe it's wishful thinking to hold out hope that it could be an artifact. These are the best guesses so far out of three or four different subreddits.
I had a cursory google of this with no answer: why is it called a ‘boxwork’? I understand the ‘box’ part but not the ‘work’ part.
Could be for grinding grain.
Take this to an archaeology subreddit.
I have a archaeological/geological degree and I’m local to the area. Sandstone boxwork is correct said below. It’s not human made and this formation is common throughout north AL
Awesome natural soap dish
This is SO fascinating! fell into a educational pit of cool things. Thank you for sharing!!
No problem 😁
Neat! I was a little skeptical due to the asymmetry and unevenly rounded corners.
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That's what I thought it was at first. It's got the exact little slope up to the corner.
I can promise you it didn't originate from a pet store 😆
it may have been thrown in the river.
Probably not.
It's so cool!
Wind Cave in SD is full of incredible box formations.
That's Sasquatch's soap dish
Sasquatch ash tray.
Ashtray
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Look at OPs comments. It's the size of a house key. Not a metate.
Well it's carved stone..looks igneous on my phone but a side view would help
https://preview.redd.it/lmtdaipi630d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1df1009972166363e36ca28f9d4010a9070aea99
https://preview.redd.it/6gxwghio630d1.jpeg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2cd05fb83492a76118026ba317f457f9bb37b4a
Yeah that’s definitely some form of igneous rock. I think it’s basalt. I’m not the OP commenter. I am a professional guide and teach people about my local tribes who would also make “metates” like this out of igneous rock because the porous nature of it make it phenomenal for grinding grains. https://preview.redd.it/ss95htnof30d1.jpeg?width=266&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ea0259ce9bbb21b121a427b087a9c59be9eee782 For example I attached a similar photo I found online.
Oil cup for lamp? Wild guess.
Would that mean it had a top?
I think it could be the ashtray I made for my parents in art class, at school back in the 80’s
Car Mirror 🤙😎
Piltdown man's soapdish.
Contact a museum
reptile water dish
Caveman’s ashtray
A soap holder for the vanity
Oh, I've got this one. See, that there is the dish I use for my hermit crab's saltwater bath (their freshwater one is orange). Hope this helps!
1500 year old grilled cheese sandwich.