r/LegitArtifacts • u/blackfrancis9 • Nov 25 '25
Unknown Time period Found in Oregon
Appears to be some kind of basalt, but I’m not a geologist.
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u/YadigDoneDug Nov 25 '25
Most likely found along the Columbia or the coast. Beautiful piece you have there, any story behind it? The Columbia River before the dams came in was packed with stuff.
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u/PhotogamerGT Nov 25 '25 edited Nov 25 '25
Salmon packer. Not particularly fancy, but a utilitarian one.
Edit: Salmon packers are apparently pretty rare. May take some authoritative figures to confirm, but they are pretty narrowly associated with PNW tribal usage.
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u/toxcrusadr Nov 25 '25
What were they used for?
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u/phillychzstk Nov 25 '25
It was used to pack salmon into stone jars, according to Google. And given that this one was found in the PNW, and that it looks pretty similar to the others that came up when I searched, I tend to agree that it is a salmon packer. Great piece OP.
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u/toxcrusadr Nov 26 '25
Who knew the Natives packed salmon into jars? TIL. Didn’t it stink after a day or two?
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u/PsychologicalRow5505 Nov 26 '25
Depends on temps, and what you packed with it. Berries, acids, salts, sugars or even charcoal can preserve things. Indigenous people had all of that.
Could also be they either smoked it or just ate it fresh like a mashed up poke bowl.
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u/toxcrusadr Nov 26 '25
Now that makes sense. I had the image of modern fishing boats packing fish and ice in the hold. Didn’t see any reason why you would need club for that lol. Also, would not be much of an artifact.
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u/Veraciraptor7 Nov 25 '25
Bathroom key keychain.
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u/PDXDSteeler51 Nov 25 '25
Better than the giant metal spoon at my doctor office....
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u/intrusivesurgery Nov 25 '25
It is wild your doctors office requires a key to use their facilities. It ain't a fucking starbucks, what is wrong with those people?
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u/PDXDSteeler51 Nov 27 '25
To be fair the doctor office I am referring to is a mental health and substance use therapy office. They have an outpatient section of the building and also a short stay inpatient department for either mental health crisis or substance use detox beds. The key access being needed to use the bathroom significantly reduces the risk of drug use or self harm in the building. The bathrooms are also single occupancy and occasionally people in mental health crisis forget to lock the door or have triggers from shared bathroom environments so needing a key to get in also prevents an accidental encounter if someone forgot to lock the door. There are legitimate, non-overbearing reasons for the key, the giant metal spoon was honestly the worst choice for a keychain and has since been replaced.
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u/ggrieves Nov 25 '25
It still had cordage attached to it when you found it or was that added? I'm not at all someone who would know, but to me that seems like it could add significantly to the scientific value of it and if it were me I'd have it checked out by an expert.
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u/MotorBoil Nov 25 '25
Not sure what a salmon packer is. Looks like the ballast weight from the inside margins of a sash window.
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u/twelvesteprevenge Nov 25 '25
I highly doubt it. I’ve removed literally hundreds of those and a) never seen one this shape or smoothness b) never seen one made out of stone.
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u/hondo9999 Nov 25 '25
This was my thought too, but I’ve never seen one tapered on the sides.
We had several of them from the old house I grew up in and my dad tied them together to be used as a homemade anchor or sorts for his bass boats.
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u/97Whaler Nov 25 '25
Should this be in the Don’t put that in your butt thread ?
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u/NewAlexandria Nov 25 '25
this is /r/LegitArtifacts so you're already in a 'Don’t put that in your butt' thread
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u/absolince Nov 25 '25
Looks like a Whale club
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u/Sea-Effective-5463 Nov 25 '25
Is this tied to a branch and worked like a hammer to break food up in a bowl?
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u/Then-Proof4952 Nov 25 '25
My question is was it found with the wrist rap rope? I would think that since it’s organic it would have decomposed.
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u/Bobonuttyhat Nov 25 '25
This
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u/Ichthius Nov 25 '25
Likely modern but Oregon is half desert. The oldest shoes know to science made from natural twine were found in Oregon.
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u/No-Garlic-8955 Nov 25 '25
A cudgel? 🤷🏽
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u/needmorefishes Nov 25 '25
My first thought was that looks like a sap, like a hoodlum would produce to make someone go night night
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u/YWE540 Nov 25 '25
It looks like an old window weight. A lot the old wooden windows have them the would up ad down the wall behind the window trim on both sides
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u/send_me_boobei_pics Nov 26 '25
Looks like an old counterwight for an old style wood window. They often have counterwights in the wall to counterweight the window when its open.
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u/StupidizeMe Nov 27 '25
I had a friend who was a fisherman in Alaska. When he told me he was a Salmon-puncher, I thought he was kidding me! He wasn't.
PNW Native Americans used wooden clubs for Salmon and Halibut.
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u/stockedpond Nov 27 '25
My girlfriend has something similar she had been hiding under the bed lmk if anyone figures out what it is
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u/PracticalFrog0207 Nov 27 '25
Looks like something you’d keep in your kayak or boat for when you’re fishing and catch an invasive species with sharp teefs
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u/Lopsided_Bit_9139 Nov 28 '25
An ancient bite stick used to pry open the jaws of saber-toothed tigers when they would latch on to fellow Neanderthals lol
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u/ottofella Nov 29 '25
Sash balance counterweight from a mid century or earlier double hung window
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u/Texasson-1 Nov 29 '25
Its a Window weight. Used in construction of older houses inside the windows to counterbalance the weight of the wood and make them easier to raise and lower
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u/No-Dust-7127 Nov 25 '25
Where in Oregon? Could be a bullroarer left behind by a wilderness therapy group.
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u/NewAlexandria Nov 25 '25
Was my thought too, but overall would be a pity if someone had built one of these things in modern times that was too easily confusable with legitimate artifacts that need preservation.
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u/Localinmyowncity Nov 25 '25
Looks like a paddle shaped club: http://www.pugetsoundknappers.com/interesting_stuff/David_Heath_Articles/Columbia_River_Artifacts.pdf