History on the Farm

ChuckieEgg

Found this buried in a mound of earth last year. I'm wondering what it is and how old. I initially thought the numbers on the bottom are a date 1807 but now I'm not sure.

NcdJd

ChuckieEgg wrote: »

Found this buried in a mound of earth last year. I'm wondering what it is and how old. I initially thought the numbers on the bottom are a date 1807 but now I'm not sure.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/e8ww3yrm9v6s6p6/20201021_104930.jpg?dl=0

Interesting to find out what that is. Found a large medal which I still have, father brought it into the national museum and they were able to tell use what it was produced for. You might be able to just send in a photo and ask if they know what it is.

Although you might get an answer from some knowledgeable person on here

Water John

Looks like a fire iron. You put it into the fire, when hot you took it out and slipped it into the iron for ironing clothes.

Say my name

Water John wrote: »

Looks like a fire iron. You put it into the fire, when hot you took it out and slipped it into the iron for ironing clothes.

In the land of giants!

Use the concrete blocks it's beside in the gate pier as a size comparison.

NcdJd

Is that a harp on it ?

Say my name

ChuckieEgg wrote: »

Found this buried in a mound of earth last year. I'm wondering what it is and how old. I initially thought the numbers on the bottom are a date 1807 but now I'm not sure.

It looks to be 1807 and a harp.

After that and it's significance and use?

Say my name

NcdJd wrote: »

Is that a harp on it ?

Great minds..

amadangomor

What part of the country are you in Chuckie?

Imagination going on that. Harp represents Ireland so maybe used by some secret Irish Nationaist society?

Maybe post in archeology forum for more input.

NcdJd

Say my name wrote: »

Great minds..

Maybe my eyes are a bit bonkers but if you look at the hole near the pointy end does it look to have a circular ware on it out from the hole ? Like there was something circular against it and this was turned.

Probably eyes are playing tricks on me. But if you look at the photo from a distance.

Say my name

NcdJd wrote: »

Maybe my eyes are a bit bonkers but if you look at the hole near the pointy end does it look to have a circular ware on it out from the hole ? Like there was something circular against it and this was turned.

Probably eyes are playing tricks on me. But if you look at the photo from a distance.

How far of a distance are we talking here? :pac:

Ah there was something in it. And sure then if it goes the whole way through or not?
And then there's another hole above the numbers.
And that 8 looks dodgy enough. Like it was a 9 made into an 8.
And looks to be in limestone or sandstone.

NcdJd

Say my name wrote: »

How far of a distance are we talking here? :pac:

Ah there was something in it. And sure then if it goes the whole way through or not?
And then there's another hole above the numbers.
And that 8 looks dodgy enough. Like it was a 9 made into an 8.
And looks to be in limestone.

Ancient star trek badge so ha

Say my name

NcdJd wrote: »

Ancient star trek badge so ha

Commemorating the theft of the Irish Crown jewels.

It's like something someone would do when a house is built.

Testacalda

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

ChuckieEgg

Testacalda wrote: »

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

I was thinking it was some sort of plough. Two holes one at each end.
Definitely not a clothes Iron!!!
No real wear marks on it from what I can tell. I'm in west Clare and the ground is fierce muddy around me so its hard to believe that people once ploughed the place.

NcdJd

ChuckieEgg wrote: »

I was thinking it was some sort of plough. Two holes one at each end.
Definitely not a clothes Iron!!!
No real wear marks on it from what I can tell. I'm in west Clare and the ground is fierce muddy around me so its hard to believe that people once ploughed the place.

Don't think it's for a plough if there's no wear marks.. Unless some sort of weight. Why would someone have engraved a date and harp if it was attached to a plough.

Also if it was going along the ground that wouldn't last long until it would have cracked at the hole on the bottom if it hit a large stone ?

Kickstart1.3

The 1807 doesn't really look like a date. I wonder is it Ogham?
Might be worth asking someone in the Dept of Heritage to look at it.

Dickie10

i have dead bodies on my land but i dont want to tell anyone, but at same time im a bit nosy as to why they are there.

amadangomor

Kickstart1.3 wrote: »

The 1807 doesn't really look like a date. I wonder is it Ogham?
Might be worth asking someone in the Dept of Heritage to look at it.

looking at it more closely it looks more like 1907 to me. Definitely not Ogham

Kickstart1.3

you could be right. It looks upside-down. Strange looking stone though

gk5000

Could it be a symbolic or keystone to hold down a piece of thatch?

satstheway

Is it a jug or a harp on it

Tig98

Bit of a stretch, but...

Maybe it is what it depicts? One stick in one hole threaded with horse hair or whatever and they're fed through the hole on the other end. Ending up with a harp prototype of sorts. Interesting find all the same

Kickstart1.3

A jug!!
I'd say whoever did the drawing Art wasn't his strongest subject

patsy_mccabe

gk5000 wrote: »

Could it be a symbolic or keystone to hold down a piece of thatch?

This is what I thought - a weight for end of a rope used to hold down a cock of hay or thatch on a roof.

NcdJd

Kickstart1.3 wrote: »

A jug!!
I'd say whoever did the drawing Art wasn't his strongest subject

Some lad named Lobi

Kickstart1.3

NcdJd wrote: »

Some lad named Lobi

I think once Lobi failed as an artist his next job was on the Slean

Melanchthon

Testacalda wrote: »

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

Looks right and date would fit

http://irisharchaeology.ie/2019/02/traditional-irish-farming-tools-drill-drag-stones/

keepalive213

Most definitely a small headstone. But probably a mini plow

gozunda

ChuckieEgg wrote: »

Found this buried in a mound of earth last year. I'm wondering what it is and how old. I initially thought the numbers on the bottom are a date 1807 but now I'm not sure.

The first thing I thought of was it a trigonometry marker of some type or a bench mark stone for land surveing?


They usually use a Triangle and a reference number Indicating height ASL and are marked on maps thus.

https://i.imgflip.com/4jia4v.jpg

Possibly an old one from a private land survey - done by landlords to map their estates and land holdings

What are the dimensions of the stone btw?

mayota

Testacalda wrote: »

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

I found this one a few years ago on the farm here, Dad said it is a pull stone.Its roughly 36” x 16”.

blue5000

Testacalda wrote: »

Have seen some similar things on farms before, not exactly like that but the same basic size and shape.

Supposedly they were used to keep down weeds or maybe to help compact soil between drills, pulled with a horse, hence the hole in the top for the rope. The arrow shape helped it stay on course as it was being pulled.

The hole on the other end was where the handle would have been fitted.

Was common that these were made by the farmer on the farm, generally left at the edge of a field when not in use.

Is there any wear marks on the bottem?

I'd go along with this too. I've heard of them called a drill stone, they were dragged by a horse to make potato drills.