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Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center / Past Cultures

Artifacts

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Birdstones/Bannerstones

Birdstone Bannerstone Bannerstones are ground-stone objects, usually symmetrical around a central drilled hole. Some have simple shapes, while others are more elaborate. Birdstones are similar, but they are shaped like birds, sometimes highly stylized. Bannerstones, and perhaps birdstones, might have served as atlatl weights, but the artistry suggests artistic, social, and ideological meanings as well. The photo shows a birdstone made of greenish black porphyry with gold phenocrysts. It was published by James Beer in The Wisconsin Archeologist (2014, Vol. 95, No. 1, p. 4).

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MVAC Educational Programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This project was supported in part by the National Science Foundation. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.