Any ideas on what this is?

Question

I posted these pics LATE last night, so I am hoping there are more people online to see them. I found this about 5 1/2 feet down. Although I found it in Oregon, I am hoping it's real and made its way over here somehow. I am awaiting further word from museums and so far what I have heard is promising. Just want more people to see it. The black coating isn't a mold, it's solid rock.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z147/screenwr/Artifact012.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z147/screenwr/Artifact011.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z147/screenwr/Artifact010.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z147/screenwr/Artifact009.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z147/screenwr/Artifact008.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z147/screenwr/Artifact007.jpg

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z147/screenwr/Artifact006.jpg

Answer 1

That's pretty d**n cool!

Answer 2

Actually, it is probably colored concrete. In the late1800s into the early 1900s  there was an Egyptology fad in the U.S. It was fashionable to decorate your house and garden with Art Deco Egyptian "relics". Larger faux relics were usually cast in concrete mixed with soot to give the appearance of onyx.

  You probably found a location where some broken concrete art deco garden ornamentation was used as fill.

Answer 3

Did you know Egyptian boats were quite sturdy for their time? There's been some evidence they travelled to the East coast of North America, so why not the west coast? But you know, the writing is almost too perfect.....

Answer 4

I suppose it's possible that plundered Egyptian artifacts were smuggled over to the west coast a long time ago. Either that, or they are reproductions from a museum that have been thrown away. Hopefully it's the former, that would be much more exciting. I understand that Portland was once a port that got a lot of worldwide merchant traffic. Good luck.

Answer 5

.Try an antique shop.

Answer 6

Can't say for certain but it would seem to me that it is some mass produced item that was the *rave* to have Egyptian items.

Not too sure about a date or whatnot but I want to say either late 1800s or early to mid-1900s before 1950 or so. <<<again, not a definate here that could be when it was 'thrown out'>>>

Answer 7

OK.. I know a little about Egyptian heiroglyphics, and while yes, there are some egyptian heiroglyphs on one side (and in the very blurry kartouche in pic 11), the heiroglyphs on the side in pic 6 do not appear to be egyptian.  I would suggest you take it to your local museum, or get better pictures and send them to one of the bigger museums that deals with egyptology (I don't know any in the US, but I would say the best to try would be the British Museum here in London).

Answer 8

I am no expert on egyptian artifacts by any means. However, from what I do know, the hieroglyphs look like they might be legit. It looks very old, and tomb raiding was big a while back, before they started realizing it was wrong. It could very well be dropped by an american who went to egypt and raided some tombs, or bought it from a merchant who had stolen it from a tomb.

Good luck

Answer 9

odds are realatively high this is a repoduction, the glyphs seems a  bit oversized. But you never know.

What do you think the orange stuff is...oxidation?

no matter what it is, had to be fun to pull it out. Even if it is contempory, it may still be worth money because it would likely be 30-100 years old.

Answer 10

It looks like a Native American artifact...so you might ask the local natives what they think...it would also be more valuable to them then some museum, and the Natives would tell you of it origin as well.

Answer 11

I see you've discovered the lost Oregon wing of the ancient Egyptian empire.

It must have been REALLY late, because most of those pictures are so blurry it hurts my eyes to look at them.

Answer 12

don't know but it's a cool find, good luck

Answer 13

I think you need to consider taking these to a good university or museum to be examined.

An archaeologist or antiquities expert could tell you more than any of us could.

They could be authentic (and therefore VERY exciting).  

But be prepared, they could be reproductions - they might have been shipped by boat or train or wagon in the 1800's and were lost or buried in a flood or landslide or something.

But take them to an expert and find out for sure - and let us know what you find out!

Answer 14

Looks like basalt to me. My money is on a rich 19th century Portland merchant's interest in egyptology.