Almost no one recognizes this antiquated instrument; are you among the few that do?

Considering how rapidly trends change and times change, it’s understandable that many of us feel as though we’re living in a world we don’t know by the time we’re elderly.

I am referring to significant shifts and the subtle adjustments that appear to happen over decades. God bless her soul, my grandmother used to show us strange instruments and trinkets that no one else in the family recognized, and she would constantly talk about the routines and habits she had when she was younger.

If I’m as fortunate to live as long as she did, I can only assume it will be the same for me.

Anyway, I suppose this nostalgia drives the popularity of “what’s this?” articles on the internet. That’s what I mean when individuals share photos of themselves curious about the whereabouts of well-known objects and their former uses.

A new one is presently making the rounds, and it appears to be quite challenging to understand exactly what it is and what it accomplishes.

I’ll be the first to say that when I initially came across a picture of the gadget below on the internet, I had no idea what it was.

Thankfully, though, there were many who did…

It appears to be an ordinary, old tree limb at first glance, with a V form and nothing particularly noteworthy about it.

However, its history as a helpful tool for humans dates back to the 1500s and a technique called “Water Dowsing.”

The water dowser is reportedly also referred to as a “doodlebug,” “water-finder,” “diviner,” or “well witch.”

Its principal function? You guessed it: to find water!

With palms facing up, a person would grasp both of the stick’s branches in each hand. Next, the V’s stem—the lower portion where the two rods join—is tilted 45 degrees in the direction of Earth.

After that, the user is said to be walking back and forth in search of vibrations at the base of the V that might indicate the presence of water beneath the surface of the Earth.

Though people started using the same technique to discover water for new homeowners living in rural regions, dowsing with metal rods appears to have been a method used to find metals in the ground during the 1500s.

To learn more about water doweling, watch the video below!

Were you aware of the purpose of this instrument? Please tell us in the comments section. If you like reading this post, you can read more about it by clicking the link below: