Hey Guys, this is a 1st post but thanks for having me on the forum.
My father told me about something he had seen on discovery about your research and after a little investigation I for the TIGHAR project. So for the past month or so I've been studying up on all the research you guys have done and sifting through your documents and the like trying to get a handle on everything that has been done up to date. I'm also an ex-air force pilot and grew up around aviation so the project itself has great interest to me.
So I as on the board for the 1st time a few days ago and ran across this thread and at 1st glance I came to the same conclusion that most others have reached. These appear to be some sort of furniture hardware or carpet grips etc. I've taken apart enough cigar boxes to know that they are held together with all manner of thin metal clips, tabs and what have you. All in various metals etc. So the box hardware theory seems to fit.
However, thinking about these things for a few days and (at the time i had only read the 1st few posts) something came t mind last night that may fit. My thought was that perhaps these are a "hand tooled writing implement"?
My premise follows this line of thought.
1. A potential castaway likely wouldn't have anything to write on/with paper pen etc.
2. They likely would have various scrap bits and scrapes around from any salvage they could get their industrious hands on.
3. After a short time as a castaway it is presumable to think they would have wanted to record there being there. Perhaps out of fear of imminent death or utility. Something such as "AE was hear" or perhaps to record days by notching a tree branch, writhing a short note or something.
4. The serrations on these clips remind anyone of a saw or cutting instrument, however the appear to be far to small to have been used as a saw.
5. So perhaps they were used for cutting carving something else?
6. The serrations could be notched into the metal by use of a stone or corral or some other hard large piece of metal.
7. The screw would serve to attach the clip to a piece of wood or handle
8. The secondary hole as another pointed out could be fashioned to keep the carving tip from spinning. And if this holds and spinning was a problem this could be consistent with back and forth carving / digging motion.
I know it may seem far out, but it was something I arrived at by asking myself what would a castaway need a small serrated edge for?
Oh and sorry for the long post!
BTW Does TIGHAR posses and high resolution satellite imagery of the islands. If not i might be able to obtain low cost imagry at a resolution of about .5m from the GEOEYE 1 satellite.
Lemmie know and thanks for having me on the board.
Matt Acuff
MBA Candidate 2012
M.J. Neeley School of Business
Texas Christian University
C: (817) 798-2004
matt.acuff@tcu.edu
http://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewacuff