I was excavating under my kitchen to do foundation repair and found miscellaneous old junk thrown into the back fill when the house was made (~80-100 years ago). Stuff like old bottles, broken tools, cans.
Most of the back fill seems to be foundry waste - course clinker chunks. (There was a major foundry in this town way back when, and I guess clinker was readily available, and the foundry was happy to get rid of it.)
But this mystery bit of forged hardware looks hand-made - not foundry produced.
Everyone I've showed it to is stumped. Any ideas??
This hole looks like it may have been square originally. Corners filled in with rust? For a carriage bolt?
The outer holes are beveled on this side (for counter-sunk screws?).The middle hole looks simply punched through.
Some elaborate handle?