28. Profile under the gangue

A quick and easy one to restore.

Nice found under the gangue (matrix formation)

Here is a nice example of how to restore a potential artifact, found AS IS (first picture), by removing the small matrix formation (also called "Gangue") with the Dremel tool.  The stone side is clearly cuts by man hand (the cuts are not natural - see picture below), this make a perfect man profile (eye, nose and mouth). The artist used the natural form, he just added the eye and the nose.

The stone was broke/cut to do the art.

Profile close-up (small matrix parts still attached - need to be cleaned)

27. The old man

Agatized Sea Shell

The upper part is the agatized sea shell

Finaly a new update after almost one year of silence.
Here we have a very nice piece and very strange!
This is an agatized sea shell (sort of - upper part) with a strange lower part:
There is one hole on the center that represents an eye,
and two noses on each side.
You can turn the piece left or right and a new profil appears.
Very interesting art !

The lower part is the effigy of an old man (click to magnify)

Size: ~11.5cm
Material: Fossil

Restored: A little (Lower part polished).

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic (carving)

26. An amazing tool featuring an effigy

The Skull-Hammer

Presentation on an unique tool

Yes, this is a very unique item. Forget everything you saw in paleolithic tools. It is basically a Hammer, but with a fire starter on his back, a notch to take measurement for your handle (or something else) on his back and a notch to work your handle (or something else) on the front. If it's not enough, it has the effigy of a skull carved on it:

(click to magnify)

The skull-hammer has been placed on a handle and tied with a string to demonstrate what it would have looked like in the days it was being used. Look at the video for a better understanding :

Size: ~11.5cm
Material: Stone

Restored: A little (was partially covered by gangue).

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic (certainly older)

25. Another masterpiece

We bet you never saw something like that

This is not only a petrified tooth with the roots and part of the jaw bone...

complete tooth (click to magnify)

... but also a complex Native American carving and a True Work of Art. It has all the criteria needed to qualify it as a work of wart. Those being, Positive Shapes, Negative Shapes, Implied Lines and Aesthetic Beauty.

Principal face into 4 directions (click to magnify)

Size: ~13cm
Material: Petrified organism (tooth)

Restored: Yes (was completely covered by gangue).

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic (certainly older)

MORE INFORMATION AND PICTURES FOR THIS PIECE COMING SOON !

Inside a space ship ? (click to magnify)

24. Profil of a man on tool

A strange tool...

... with a strange profil carved on it (click to magnify)

Size: ~5.5cm
Material: Unknown stone
Restored: No
Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA
Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

23. Profils on Paleo Spearhead

A Paleo Spearhead

Here is another Paleolithic tool with artworks on it.

Profil of a man - Face 1

Profil of a man - Face 2

Size: ~2.5cm
Material: Unknown stone
Restored: No
Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA
Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

22. Art on tool

Beautiful paleolithic tool

Like Artifacts #8, #10 or #14, the man and his pet appear on this piece:

The man and the pet (click to magnify)

Size: ~3cm
Material: Unknown stone
Restored: Yes
Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA
Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

21. Face on tool

Another Paleolithic tool..

...that has a nice face on it.

This tool was certainly used for knapping arrowheads.

Size: ~5 cm

Material: Unknown

Restored: No

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

20. Micro-carving on small arrowhead

A small obsidian arrowhead.

This small arrowhead is made of a translucent Obsidian, it has very small profil of a man carved on it:

The profil of a man appears. Click to magnify.

Size: ~2 cm

Material: Obsidian

Restored: No

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

19. Ancient effigies on petrified clam

A small petrified clam

This small petrified clam was found in the Mojave desert, on the same paleo site than the other pieces. The first interesting thing about this small petrified clam is the fact that it contains a petrified pearl in it:

A petrified pearl inside.

If this is not enough, the second interesting thing is the effigies that appear on it:

The effigies. Click on picture to magnify.

Size: ~2.5 cm

Material: Mineralized clam (agatized)

Restored: No (found "As Is")

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic (carving)

18. The Chalcedony shaman

This small piece is carved and polished

This small piece was found, "As Is", on the same site, as the other pieces presented on this website. It is a representation of a man wearing a mask/hat, each side has its own representation:

The effigies of a shaman.

Size: ~3.5 cm

Material: An unknown Chalcedony variety

Restored: No (found "As Is")

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

17. The old Crystal-Agate man

The Crystal-Agate profil

What we have here is a "fragment" of a Crystal-Agate geode. Due to its form, we can imagine how the original rock looked:

This is only a fragment of a bigger rock.

This fragment was found "As Is" on the same paleo site where the other pieces have been found. So, this little fragment was certainly "extracted" by a man... AND retouched, as the picture below is showing you:

Traces of work, click on picture to magnify.

Finally, here is what the man wanted to represent:

The profil of an old man on each side. Click to magnify.

Size: ~4.5 cm

Material: Crystal-Agate

Restored: No (found "As Is")

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

16. Another multi-carvings piece

Many images appear on this piece.

Some of the images carved in it. Click on picture to magnify.

Size: ~5 cm

Material: Unknown (maybe a mineralized tooth)

Restored: No

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

15. Paleo-Indian profil on Quartz cutting tool

A Quartz cutting tool.

This is a small cutting tool made of Quartz Crystal. Found on the same site than the other pieces. This is also an amazing little work of art because a human profil is carved into it:

An Indian profil carved on it. Click on picture to magnify.

Size: ~2 cm

Material: Quartz Crystal

Restored: No

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

Traces of man-made retouching work can be seen here:

2015 update : new screenshot and drawing

Zoom on traces, click on picture to magnify.

 

Another Paleo-Indian profil can be seen here (Artifact #3).

14. The petrified snake

This is a small petrified snake

Paleolithic men hated snakes, probably for the simple reason that many of them were bitten by them, and surely some even died. As strange as this may sound, they would actually do strange things to the snakes, like tie them into knots and shape them into small totems, like this one...

Close up on the head, click on picture to magnify.

The man and the pet, already visible on this piece and this piece seem to appear again on this one:

The man and the pet, click on picture to magnify.

Size: ~3.5 cm

Material: Mineralized organism (snake)

Restored: No

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

13. The 100-face totem

The 100-face totem

Size: ~9 cm

Material: Mineralized organism (maybe a part of a Coyote jaw bone)

Restored: Yes (was completely covered in mineral buildup which has to be removed, this piece was then sprayed with a protectant)

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic (certainly older)

Here is some of the faces that appear on this incredible artifact:

Click on picture to magnify (1600x1200)

Some close-up (click to magnify)

As you can see, this piece is a true work of art, made by a skilled artist. There many other faces on this artifact, it's why I called it The 100-face totem. See more effigies on the picture below:

Click on picture to magnify

12. Unique three-in-one artifact

When this rock was found, it looked like this:

When found, the parts were "attached" together (but originally detached)

Some interesting carvings can be seen of the two bigger parts, like this one:

A man and a monster, this part is not restored.

We started to restore the smallest part, and here is how it turned out:

As you can see, it's a masterpiece (click on the picture to magnify)

The age of this artifact can easily be authenticated by the image of the mammoth head carved on it (see the first yellow picture).

Close-up (click on the picture to magnify)

Size:

Biggest part: ~6 cm

Second part: ~5 cm

Smallest part: ~2 cm

Material: Unknown

Restored: Yes (only the smallest part)

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic (at least)

11. Art on stone knife

Interesting artwork on this side (click on picture to magnify)

Size: ~3.5cm

Material: Unknown

Restored: No.

Provenance: Mojave Desert (California part), USA

Estimated period: Upper Paleolithic

Another profil on the other side, you can see how the mouth was added.