A rock in a woman’s yard appears to be carved and could be 500 years old

What Georgia St. Hilaire thought was just another rock in her yard turned out to be a mysterious artifact that could be hundreds of years old.

About two years ago, St. Hilaire was landscaping her Dunnellon yard and moving some rocks around, when her 13-year-old daughter noticed one rock had a face.

“At first, I thought it had eroded like this, but I started looking at it and it was too detailed,” she said. “The kids think it looks like George Washington.”

Unsure what to do with her strange find, St. Hilaire said she called some neighbors who collect artifacts and asked their opinion.

“They were so excited to see it,” she said. “They said I should get in touch with somebody and have them look at it.”

St. Hilaire spoke to someone at the St. Martin’s Marsh Aquatic Preserve office who told her the stone piece appeared to be about 500 years old and of Spanish origin.

She then met with the director of the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center in Ocala, hoping to find out more about the artifact and whether it was of historical significance or value.

The museum’s director, Guy Marwick, said that as the piece is unique, there’s no basis of comparison to determine its origin.

“You don’t know if it’s 500 years old or 55 years old,” he said.

Marwick said he’s interested in the stone head because he has a similar one in his museum.

Unfortunately, he said, neither one of the stone heads were unearthed by a professional archeologist, who would have documented its placement in the soil to later determine its age.

The piece already in his museum was found in the Cow Pond Hammock area of Ocala on an old Indian habitat site.

“If ever a third one shows up and is excavated by a professional archeologist, then maybe we’ll have more information,” Marwick said. “Until then, until you find a way to link it to a particular culture, it’s just a real interesting curiosity.”

Marwick said he wants the piece for his museum not only because of his own fascination with it, but also to make sure it’s properly preserved should more information become available to identify its origin.

St. Hilaire said she and Marwick haven’t discussed a price for the piece yet.

“To be honest,” she said, “I hate to let it go not knowing what it’s really worth.”

• Story originally published by:
Citrus County Chronicle, Crystal River / FLA | Christi Stevens - Jan 25.02

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