Aboriginal Artifacts: Moon Stones
Close to where we live there is a Traveling Stock Reserve, but it is not used for traveling stock, but is agisted. Still anyone is free to walk and play in there. I have always liked going out into the paddock and exploring or building houses with logs, branches and sticks. When we were little we would go collecting what I called 'moon stone' for I had never seen rocks like that anywhere, they were often a creamy colour, and they had sharp edges with smooth sides. I would carry them back home and put them in my collection. I have no idea what happened to that collection, I can only guess it got chucked in the bin with a lot of other junk, which I probably called precious things, but Mum knew better, except for the rocks.
Well the rocks are not exactly worth anything, but it turns out that they are classed as aboriginal artifacts. They were chippings from stones used to make spear heads and other stone tools and things. Hundreds of years ago, people would have come up to the 'High Hills' as we call them and sat chipping.
One part of the High Hills has been marked as an aboriginal sacred sight in recent years, and since then we have made sure my brothers did not take any more of the chippings from there. But closer to our house there was a lot of erosion work done, and while I walked along the top of the new banks of mud I came across two of the largest 'moon stone' chippings I have ever found. Whenever I walk there now I keep my eye out for more bits, and have found a few more slivers amongst the mud and weeds.
It is even possible that some of the larger 'moon stones' were used a knives of a sort themselves. Most are just stone flakes, the result of making their stone tools.
Even more recently when we had a very dry season, the cattle agisted in the paddock ate the grass to the ground. It was around this time that I found two more fascinating rocks. I did not know if this first one is an artifact or just a rather unusual rock that is very smooth except for the one dip in the center. But rocks that are smooth like that don't usually walk into the middle of a paddock by themselves. It I had found it by a river I might not think twice. But I spent ages googling stuff to do with Aboriginal Artifacts and stones, I think I found something it could be; A Fire Lighting Stone.
"The Fire Stone was and is used by Aboriginals to start a fire. It is a pretty simple process, and it involves simply by rubbing a strong stick between your palms in a rapid motion on the stone. After a while the friction caused by the stick rotating on the stone will cause it to start burning., when it does, thats when you blow lightly with your mouth on the end of the stick as it is placed in some dry grass. That will cause the fire to start." ~Billy on this post
As for the second large rock, it is obviously something special.
It has been shaped to a point, that is quite sharp, for a rock. I don't think anyone could say a rock gained such a shape itself. I almost did not see it lat alone pick it up as it was all but burred under the ground. If there had been any grass to speak of there would be no way someone would notice it, even if they stepped on it.
I wonder what man made it, and how long ago, did he chop wood with it, or hunt animals? Was the other rock a Fire Stone? What things happened around it, what fires were lit, what stories were told by them?
Well all I can say is I need a time machine.....
Have you ever found any artifacts?
What were they?
What do you think of my finds?
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