Description:

Native American, Southern United States, Cooper County Missouri, Eastern Woodland, Archaic Period, ca. 5000 to 1000 BCE. A fine example of a bannerstone preform, a weight for an atlatl, with a raised cross section. This piece is made from a brick-red stone and polished with smooth faces and rounded edges. This bannerstone is not drilled laterally through the cross-section which indicates this is unfinished, hence the preform designation. Bannerstones remain an archaeological mystery. For many years, inspired by research done by a former physicist, archaeologists believed that bannerstones were used as weights to give atlatls greater power and control. Later experimental archaeology proved that this was not true - but did open the possibility that the bannerstone helped with fatigue when holding an atlatl still, while stalking skittish prey such as deer. Size: 4" L x 3.25" W (10.2 cm x 8.3 cm)

Provenance: private Kansas City, Missouri, USA collection; ex-John Townsend collection, formed in the 1970s and earlier

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#161653

  • Condition: Nicks and chips to peripheries. Nice polished surface and light mineral deposits.

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April 22, 2021 10:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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