Old Stone Marble

[Mr Cat]

Hi folks! This is my first post, I'm no marble collector but I do love them and I'm here because I was gardening for a friend the other day and had to dig some fence post holes in their garden and dug up what I think is an old stone marble and would love it if anyone could tell me more about it as I've not much idea where to start and forums are always a good place in my experience

The houses round here date from the 18th century, and there is an old monastery near by, and a distillery, which led to the building of this 'new burgh' to house the growing community, funnily enough called Newburgh, in Fife, Scotland.

The monastary dates from the 12th to the mid 17th century (its active life, it's now a very much ruin) so there's a fairly wide range of dates to chuck in to the bag there...

I've atached a photo and would love to hear anybody's best guesses of any more info about it

Thanks folks!

[Steph]

Hi. Welcome.  I don't know what to say other than stone marble.

These marbles are supposedly actually marble:    






I don't know how mine might relate to "alabaster".  But that's one of the white stone names I have heard of being used to make marbles.  Another is limestone.   

I don't know enough to make a guess as to what exact stone yours might be. 

But that range: 12th to 18th century all sounds reasonable for these non-glass marbles.  19th century also.  Maybe early 20th.  
 

[Berryb]

It kinda' looks like stoneware (ceramic) to me, but it's difficult to tell from photos. There is another thread here about marbles dug in old privies, one of the photos has several marbles that resemble yours. If your marble is stone It could have been made from ancient times right through WW1. If it's ceramic the time of origin would be narrowed some but still could be quite old (at least by American standards). I would contact your local historical society. Someone there might be able to shed some light on your marble. They could possibly take into account the specific location it was dug.  Sorry about being so long winded, but I love this stuff. Thanks

Bruce 

[Mr Cat]

Hey folks, that's great, thanks so much for your input and ideas!

I'm no materials specialist, and I'm unsusre of the difference between stoneware and ...stone, but it sure feels like a stone to me. I guess maybe I can find a geologist friend. There is a local historian round here in a small library/museum thing in the town, it's not open very often but I'll try and pop by there with it, it's very intriguing.

I just love thinking about all the peope who might once have been playing with it, who, what and when

I've dug up a lot of stuff in my gardening history but this is up there on the very short list of particularly cool stuff!

Cheers