Togo Holed Stone

Recently, I've been spending hours staring at screens for research. My eyes feel strained, and I often get headaches. Suddenly, I remembered that these holed stones are considered "efficacious" by indigenous African peoples. So, I picked one up and placed it on my temples, forehead, and eye sockets. A cool sensation seemed to permeate from the stone... It's a wonderfully natural cooling tool, better than an ice pack. Perhaps it's the placebo effect, but my eye strain and headache eased considerably. When you feel better, you should stop. I quickly turned off the computer and went to rest. *********************** The following information is collected from the internet. Collectors interested in this artifact may refer to it. ********************** These stones originate from the Togo region of Africa. They are quartz discs with a hole drilled through them, known internationally as "Togo holed stones." The technique of drilling stones dates back to the Neolithic period, 12,000 years ago. In Togo, these stones are found under certain trees, sometimes in quantities ranging from hundreds to thousands. To this day, it remains a mystery who made these holed stones and why. Scholars and experts studying ancient currencies speculate they may have been an early form of currency. Human activity has been found in Togo dating back to the early Iron Age, around 1000 BCE. Between 1200 and 1500 CE, many different ethnic groups migrated to Togo. When first discovered by locals, they were thought to have fallen from the sky. These holed stones were used as talismans. They were also used in spiritual healing for illnesses. They were placed on the afflicted area or the site of spiritual healing. Some people placed the stones in water, using the infused water for washing and drinking. Others ground the stones into powder and consumed them. There is a foreign theory that they were used as "thunderstones" in Voodoo (Vodou) practices. Vodou, also known as Voodoo, is a transliteration from the Latin "Voodoo," meaning "spirit" or "deity." Originating in West Africa, Vodou is an indigenous religion that combines ancestor worship, animism, and spirit communication, somewhat akin to shamanism. This Togo holed stone is paired with thousand-year-old calcified grey-skinned agate round beads and hundred-year-old Tibetan glass beads, strung together with Chinese knots. It can be worn on the waist or attached to a bag. ************************************ Quartz (English: quartz) is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's continental crust, after feldspar. Its crystal structure is a continuous framework of SiO4 (silicon-oxygen tetrahedra), where each oxygen atom is shared between two tetrahedra, resulting in the overall chemical formula SiO2. There are many varieties of quartz. Colorless, transparent quartz is called rock crystal. Some varieties are used as semi-precious stones. Since ancient times, quartz has been widely used for jewelry and hardstone carving, especially in Europe and the Middle East. Pure quartz can transmit ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light within certain wavelength ranges. It exhibits properties such as optical activity, piezoelectricity, and electrostriction. Perfect quartz crystals are found in rock geodes, massive forms occur in hydrothermal veins, and granular quartz is a major component of various rocks like granite, gneiss, and sandstone. Quartz crystals can also be grown artificially. 1800-112.10.02