diff --git a/lib/mongoid/field.rb b/lib/mongoid/field.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/lib/mongoid/field.rb
+++ b/lib/mongoid/field.rb
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ module Mongoid #:nodoc:
     # <tt>Field.new(:score, :default => 0)</tt>
     def initialize(name, options = {})
       check_name!(name)
-      @type = options[:type] || String
+      @type = options[:type] || Object
       @name, @default = name, options[:default]
       @copyable = (@default.is_a?(Array) || @default.is_a?(Hash))
       @options = options
diff --git a/spec/unit/mongoid/field_spec.rb b/spec/unit/mongoid/field_spec.rb
index <HASH>..<HASH> 100644
--- a/spec/unit/mongoid/field_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/mongoid/field_spec.rb
@@ -144,8 +144,8 @@ describe Mongoid::Field do
       @field = Mongoid::Field.new(:name)
     end
 
-    it "defaults to String" do
-      @field.type.should == String
+    it "defaults to Object" do
+      @field.type.should == Object
     end
   end
Changing default field type to Object instead of String