Prehistoric artifact or interesting knick-knack? An anonymous donor dropped off a piece of pottery to Goodwill that some believe is, in fact, an artifact from a Native American tribe that once called Oklahoma their home. The pottery traveled through Goodwill’s internal distribution system — in one piece, no less — before showing up in New York.

How do people know this piece is actually a relic from long ago? Apparently someone found a note inside the pottery which read, “Found in a burial mound near Spiro Oklahoma in 1970″. It’s being speculated that it could be thousands of years old. How this thing survived being put through the organization’s system is anyone’s guess.

“We’re pretty amazed that the thing wasn’t (a) broken or (b) just thrown out,” a representative from Goodwill said in a recent interview. Considering the condition of some of the items I’ve seen at area Goodwill stores, I’m surprised the pottery made it out alive.

Goodwill, being the kind and gracious organization that it is, has agreed to return the piece to the Caddo Indian Nation. “Once we were alerted to what it was, there was no doubt that we were happy to donate it back to them,” they said in a prepared statement.

There’s a lesson to be learned here, folks. Make sure any items you donate to Goodwill aren’t historical artifacts. And, no, your old New Kids on the Block t-shirts don’t count.