What was a Bannerstone used for?

Bannerstones are weights for spear-throwers, the long shafts that propelled the actual darts, thus extending the thrower’s reach. In use in North America for some 3,000 years beginning in the fourth millennium B.C., bannerstones took many and varied forms.

What is the rarest Native American artifact?

Most Valuable Indian Artifacts Recently Sold

  • A carved stone effigy dating from 1000 BC to 400 BC sold for about $2,200 in 2020.
  • A six-inch-long authenticated Clovis stone point sold for about $1,750 in mid-2020.
  • A butterfly banner dating to 4800 BC and fully authenticated sold for about $1,200.

What are Nutting stones?

Nutting stones are a fairly common artifact found throughout most of Georgia. These are unusually shaped stones with one or more shallow cupped spots on one or more surfaces (top). It is assumed that these impressions of multiple sizes were for the cracking of hard shelled nuts like walnuts or hickory nuts.

What does a bannerstone look like?

Bannerstones are artifacts usually found in the Eastern United States that are characterized by a centered hole in a symmetrically shaped carved or ground stone. The holes are typically 1⁄4″ to 3⁄4″ in diameter and extend through a raised portion centered in the stone.

How do I identify my arrowhead?

If it’s stemmed, check the condition of the stem. In case it’s stemless, see if it’s fluted or not. If it’s scored, determine if it’s indented in the side or from the corner. The area and the configuration of the pointed arrowhead are sufficient to limit your options to just 12 potential types.

What is a Clovis arrowhead?

Clovis arrowheads have concave base and convex sides. The broadest areas for Clovis arrowheads are situated either in the near midsection or toward the base of the point. Clovis arrowheads are usually crafted out of stone or chert. Clovis arrowheads have typical slender blades and have parallel curved edges.

How do you authenticate an arrowhead?

Authentic arrowheads feature flake scars where pieces of the rock were hit away. These scars are normally curved; however, if the arrowhead is very old, these scars may be smoothed over. If this is the case, examine the surface of the arrowhead with a magnifying glass.

What is a metate stone?

Also referenced as a meal stone by Hillerman, a metate is a slab of rock with either a concave or flat surface that is used for manually grinding grain, ochre, or other plant and mineral products.