Lots of balls

[atczero]

We used to find a lot of these balls (and some obvious marbles) on a lot of sites. I've never known for sure which if any were prehistoric.

Anyone here know much about them? How old and what they were used for?

Thanks,

Joe

[justonemore]

Sorry, but man, you got alot of balls!
Have only found one myself in context about a 14-16 inches below the surface. About the size of a marble.
Some type of game ball?

[Steve Valentine]

Clay Marbles. Early settlers.

[atczero]

Originally Posted by Steve Valentine

Clay Marbles. Early settlers.

There were obviously settlers living all around the areas were we would hunt. We would also find pieces of clay pipes and and pieces of small porcelain dolls. Never a whole of either.

[arrow719]

Bennington Marbles

[atczero]

Originally Posted by arrow719

Bennington Marbles

Cool. Thanks for the link.

Joe

[meetmaker]

Seems Like a lot of us find these round things. Mine is not glazed, no obvious mold markings and VERY round. The first pic shows a circle that might be a mold mark. Similar to a mold for a round rifle ball, the slip may have been poured in from the top. Or not. In reviewing the history of the area this was found it came to light that there was a brick yard near in the late 1800's. Ball Mills (steam power, coal fired) were used to pulverize the clay. Balls were cast in molds of the brick material and fired in the brick kilns. I imagine as they wore down they just became part of the brick. Not having seen pictures of the mills, balls or molds I don't know even what size the balls would have been, so I am not sure this is a mill ball. But it is possible, an interesting alternate explanation.

[gpblood]

search porocystis globularis .
then we'll talk !!

[meetmaker]

A fossil Buckeye??!!