I am a Midwestern fellow unaccustomed to the ocean and sea shore.
Though I live in northern Illinois near Lake Michigan, there is a
big difference between the two types of waters. Fifty years ago,
when visiting San Diego, California, I had an opportunity to do some
beach combing, not only along the Pacific Ocean beaches, but a bit
farther in shore among the sand dunes. That’s where I found
the Artifact (Figures 1-3).
The Artifact
It was a unique find sticking out of the yellow sand. It appeared
as a jet black wooden “stick”, slightly curved with a
bulbous head and thin tail section; somewhat like a giant comma with
a long tail. The Artifact was approximately 9.5 cm (4 inches) long,
2 cm (½ inch) thick with smooth well polished surfaces throughout.
It weighed 34.8 grams (1.3 oz ), had a solid, heavy feel and the
surface was quite hard to the touch. Its shape was most artistic,
fit easily in the hand and led me to the conclusion that it might
be an ancient example of an effigy form, birdstone, plummet, weight,
pendant, ear plug or other charm-like stone. It had a fine coating
of patina. Definitely “man-made.”
I examined the Artifact under a 30X stereo microscope finding no
serious chips or surface markings. Its specific gravity (weight in
air divided by the weight immersed in water) was 2.32 g/cc. This
was the density of quartz, obsidian or shale stone. The dark, steel
grey color and general feel seemed like the relic was made of hard,
slate stone or a well-soaked, dense, tropical hardwood. If placed
in a cold environment, it held its chill. If heated, it retained
the elevated temperature. This was typical rock or hardwood behavior.
It would not float but quickly sank in water.
What it Really Was
The beach, near the dunes where I found the Artifact, was littered
with ....
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