Article on Bannerstones

[jmaschal]

I have not been fortunate to find a banner stone yet but often wondered what they were used for. I found this article today and thought I would share. It’s a good quick read.

https://www.archaeology.org/issues/262-1707/features/5626-native-american-bannerstones

 

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[rock]

You may never find one very rare

 

[justonemore]

Good article, thanks

 

[fyrffytr1]

Very interesting. Thanks for posting.

 

[sandchip]

I believe the more compact examples were used on atlatls, not to aid in throwing, but to counter the weight of the spear out front as the hunter sat motionless for long periods of time as he waited for the right shot. The larger, more elaborate ones were, in my opinion, also used on atlatls but on those "presentation grade" examples given to important people in the tribe, and never intended for actual use. My analogy is a Springfield Armory 1911 that you tote around on the ranch every day, and the engraved and gold inlaid Colt 1911 that is kept in its velvet-lined walnut box and that will never see a round pass through the bore.

 

[sawmill man]

Well ,sense this is just a discussion and im not arguing , but it looks like adding weight to the leverage would defeat all purpose of using the leverage ,the longer the leverage the longer the throw and power, adding weight would hinder the user . if this method did work why would it be used only in one time period? going by the law of physics it would just make it harder on the hunter using it ,trying to get weight up to speed. and why are so few ever found ,when thousands of other hunting related artifacts are found. makes me think these banner stone/ atlatil weights were used for more special purposes just saying.

 

[creekhunter]

They are amazing artifacts, I have been fortunate enough to find part of one, still very proud to hold it, such artistry!

 

[OntarioArch]

Very interesting article. I also just read The Archaic Bannerstone : Its Chronological History and Purpose from 6000 B.C. to 1000 B.C by Lutz, and in reference to my artifact, he states,

“The Shield-Shaped is one of the several bannerstone types found exclusively in the Eastern US.”

He refers to the “solid stick method” — his photo shows a bannerstone with a small diameter hole, much smaller than the 'normal' diameter; apparently small hole was drilled first, then a larger diameter hole; and he shows a “bannerstone fragment” - his photo shows 1.5 inch piece / polished both ends where it broke off

Also, from A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE SO-CALLED "BANNERSTONES, BY JOHN LEONARD BAER American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 23, No. 4.1921. "Many perfect bannerstones have been found in graves, but for every perfect one picked up about abandoned camp sites, a dozen broken ones have been found. Many of those broken in prehistoric times have been drilled at right angles to the original perforation as if intended to be worn as pendants. Bannerstones were so cherished and considered of such importance that scarcely ever was a broken piece discarded by the fortunate possessor. Possibly they were carried in the medicine bag as "good medicine.”

I will try to post a photo of my artifact in the next post - pics have been unreliable to me on this forum - but I am feeling better about calling my artifact a piece of broken bannerstone, Shield-shaped, solid stick drilled, and polished to be worn as a pendant.

Could be all wrong...but I know it is a cool object.

 

[OntarioArch]

 

[captain redbeard]

This is a piece of a broken bannerstone I found in a field. I'm not sure if it came before or after it was broke, but the divot looks intentional on the one side, being the edges are fairly smoothed down. There are some light engravings on the same side as the divot that seems to over lap the engravings, so possible it was used as a fire starter or something after it was broke? Only example I have, from cayuga county NY.

You can see the light engravings around 1 o'clock (triple diagonal lines)

 

[georgia flatlander]

I have been fortunate enough to have found several, and this article is the closest description that I can wrap my head around. They are of such different sizes and shapes that it would seem likely that each atlatl would have to fit the thrower, much like a gun today. A balancing weight was probably crude originally, then became more ornate over time. In any case, they are awesome artifacts!