Needing help identifying-comments welcome

[pjullien]

We have had a lot of flooding this May/early June in NE Oklahoma.  Lakes up north(Keystone Lake for example) have been releasing water at high fps  which has kept the Arkansas River running high and fast for several weeks.  The last two days the river was lower as we have had a break from heavy rains for several days and I was able to finally explore the new river edges (lots of new sand dunes) and some sand bars.  I have two items that are probably just rocks but would appreciate any help in identifying them.  I read up on a post of the geological periods of the Arkansas River near Tulsa from a post in the forum by Petro Pete.  Here is the link but it seems its quite a mix.  http://www.thefossilforum.com/index.php?/topic/36993-fossil-hunting-guide-to-tulsa-ok-and-surrounding-areas/

 

The first object looks to me like fossilized bone surrounding something in the center

The second object just has a peculiar shape but might just be a piece of iron mineral

 

 

[Macrophyseter]

They look like iron concretions to me, but I'm not too sure with the first one.

[pjullien]

That is what I was thinking on the second one as well.  Thanks!

[Texas_Unearthed]

The first pic is porous like bone, but the black “burn” mark(s) indicate to me it may be a piece of pottery? Paleo Indian peoples would either use a kiln type or open flame - the the amount of oxygen and rate during the firing/kiln process can indicate the color - black vs. buff or red - for ex:

if it has a coating on the outside and hairline cracks - is usually too much oxygen too quick. The clay used (lots of clay up there!) can be mixed with native grasses, sand, bits of shell called “Temper” - this gives it its structure. So you may can see this with a magnifying glass - If it is bone, I find the tongue test pretty reliable - bone will result in a light stick to the tongue! Where pottery, rock - no stick! Also when you tap fossilized bone, it will have a more dull dense sound - rock that is mineralized, pottery etc will sound higher pitched  - like when you tap China. Happy Hunting!! 

[ynot]

These pieces are not "pottery". The black area is a mineral coloring not scorch marks. They are not the correct shape for pottery shards.

 

The second one looks like an iron concretion.