Fossilized wolf print?

[morgancountry]

My son and I took a side trip hunting one afternoon to a spot where we have found lots of arrowheads through the years. Been some grinding bowls and stones found as well. He got to uncovering some rocks while I was sifting for arrowheads. I'm pretty certain this is a dog print. I don't have a measurement but he's 11 and that is his hand in the reference pic. It's clearly way too big for dog or coyote. Plus it's obviously old lol. He is now full on archeologists and has a dig kit for Christmas. Hoping to keep his fire fueled for this!

 

[cbhunter]

No clue but that's pretty cool

 

[Antler Daddy]

My son and I took a side trip hunting one afternoon to a spot where we have found lots of arrowheads through the years. Been some grinding bowls and stones found as well. He got to uncovering some rocks while I was sifting for arrowheads. I'm pretty certain this is a dog print. I don't have a measurement but he's 11 and that is his hand in the reference pic. It's clearly way too big for dog or coyote. Plus it's obviously old lol. He is now full on archeologists and has a dig kit for Christmas. Hoping to keep his fire fueled for this!

Looks like it's more man-made for grinding stuff possibly.

 

[Teacher]

Looks like more areas near the depressions. I would think they ground stuff in the holes. Might be a print!

 

[Lt.Dan]

It's a great find for the young man, no matter what it is. Congratulations

 

[jc0313]

My son and I took a side trip hunting one afternoon to a spot where we have found lots of arrowheads through the years. Been some grinding bowls and stones found as well. He got to uncovering some rocks while I was sifting for arrowheads. I'm pretty certain this is a dog print. I don't have a measurement but he's 11 and that is his hand in the reference pic. It's clearly way too big for dog or coyote. Plus it's obviously old lol. He is now full on archeologists and has a dig kit for Christmas. Hoping to keep his fire fueled for this!

It looks like a nutting stone. https://arrowheads.com/nutting-stones/

 

[BSK]

It looks like a nutting stone. https://arrowheads.com/nutting-stones/

I'm betting on this, although it is a dead ringer for an animal print. I say most likely a nutting stone because - depending on where that rock it - it is probably older than mammals themselves. That rock could have formed hundreds of millions of years ago, long before large mammals walked the earth.

 

[morgancountry]

I'm betting on this, although it is a dead ringer for an animal print. I say most likely a nutting stone because - depending on where that rock it - it is probably older than mammals themselves. That rock could have formed hundreds of millions of years ago, long before large mammals walked the earth.

That does make sense. I definitely see the resemblance if I google nutting stone pictures. We went back and cleaned more of the rock off and found more depressions like it. But you're probably right about the age of the rock. I guess what made me think print was the obvious shape that looks just like one lol. Also, I have seen what I assume are old elk prints in the flat spots of the river bottoms around here that are now solid rock, but obviously were muddy at one time to be able to leave a print.

 

[Ski]

When my daughter was a young teen and she had the chore of grinding some holes, I totally could imagine her doing something just like that. She'd find a way to have fun with it. If that's what's going on right there, IMO it's an incredibly intimate insight to a prehistoric person's mind. It reveals personality that is totally relatable.

 

[morgancountry]

When my daughter was a young teen and she had the chore of grinding some holes, I totally could imagine her doing something just like that. She'd find a way to have fun with it. If that's what's going on right there, IMO it's an incredibly intimate insight to a prehistoric person's mind. It reveals personality that is totally relatable.

I hadn't thought of it that way.. that is actually more incredible than a "wolf print" the thought that someone long long ago made it look like that on purpose… interesting for sure

 

[Ski]

I hadn't thought of it that way.. that is actually more incredible than a "wolf print" the thought that someone long long ago made it look like that on purpose… interesting for sure

I think so too. Pretty awesome actually.

It wouldn't be out of the norm. They knapped ceremonial blades in the shape of animals, made effigy mounds, smoking pipes, pottery, etc. Heck I used to mess with my older brother by making huge buck tracks, knowing he'd see them and hopefully be fooled or at the minimum get a laugh out of it. I could totally see a kid making that print for similar purposes.