Mystery marks on stone

[stripee]

I found this small stone today on the hillside. It's 3cm in length. I don't know if a small rodent could do these marks..anyone have any ideas? thanks

[Hedge Witch]

Stone used by a farmer sharpening a tool.


I wonder if might help to post this in "Geography" as someone may know how hard this stone is. I think it's a sandstone myself, and it'd destroy teeth.

[stripee]

Possibly hedge witch! Although, no farmer's been on this hillside for a long time.
I've just had a look at it under a magnifying glass and it does look a bit like marks from a small knife.

[stripee]

At home the family think it's slate. Possibly with a small amount of other types of stone. If slate it's quite easy to mark with teeth?

[Tracey.A]

I've no idea, could it be a fossil of some kind?

Tracey

[ChrisJB]

It does look like a sandstone and the marks do not look like a fossil. I think they are man made as well.

Regards, Chris

[Tursiops2]

That's definitely a "worked" stone of some sort, and a whetstone seems eminently plausible. Could be quite old, worth dropping it in to your local museum next time you're passing
T2

[Wild-Woman]

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

That's definitely a "worked" stone of some sort, and a whetstone seems eminently plausible. Could be quite old, worth dropping it in to your local museum next time you're passing
T2

I agree.This would be of interest to archeologists.

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Tursiops2

That's definitely a "worked" stone of some sort, and a whetstone seems eminently plausible.

I'd agree that it appears to be worked, but grooves like that would indicate an edge being removed, rather than being put on. In other words, a tool being blunted rather than sharpened. A rather unlikely scenario, I would think.

Jim

[Dogghound]

It looks like a fossil of a fern to me.