The Bannerstone

Conundrum: New
Theories on Their Use

Southwestern Illinois
College Astronomy
Club Presentation
Room 1220
6:30PM Friday,
December 7, 2007
Vince Barrows
Topics of Discussion: Bannerstones
• Thinking Out of the Box
• Shape (Morphology or Typology) & Material
• Method of Manufacture (Chaine Operatoire)
• Distribution
• Chronology
• Function
• Publications
• Questions
 Shape (Morphology or Typology)
• Geometric, Ground Stone , highly polished, central
perforation, most symmetrically balanced
• Lunate, Bilunate, Bipennate, geniculate (Moorehead:
1917)
• Class A= primary form, Class B=Blending form, Class
C= developed types (Knoblock)
• 8 forms developed from Southern Perforated pebble
original form, Humped, Triangular, Double Edged,
Ovated, Rectangular, Boat-shaped, Heart-area Ovate,
Southern Tubular (Knoblock: 1939)
• 32 distinct forms developed (Knoblock)
• 36 disctinct forms developed (Harvey)
 Method of Manufacture
• Carefully select material
• Grinding/ pecking stone to form elegant
symmetrical shape
• Polishing
• Drilling – reed drill
• Experiments indicate that with stone tools,
the completion of a small Catlinite
bannerstone could be done in about 12
hours.
 Distribution
• Bannerstones occur in eastern states,
• Biscuit and boatstone variety also found in
west. Neuman (1967)
• Some forms are confined to certain areas
of the country
 Chronology
• Earliest style originates around 6000-5000
BC, generally crescent shape.
• Several crescent shaped examples were
found in Modoc Rock shelter 20 feet
beneath the ground level.
 Atl-atl counterbalance?
• Atl-atl counterbalance located about 7 inches from the handle end of
the spear thrower.
• Spear Throwing devices
• Used in
– Australia
– New Guinea
– Alaska
– Aleutian Islands
– Boyca Island
– Canada
– Mayan Hulche
– Tarascan
– America
• Documented in America in 1543 DeSoto chronicles as the “most
feared weapon”
Atl-atl Spear/ Darts
 Function (Why?)
• Ceremonial staffs with stones mounted on
them (Henshaw: 1887)
• Inclusion of Bannerstones in graves as
status markers (Prescourt: 1973)
• Associated with hooks made of antler, for
use as netting needles and that
bannerstones were used a spacers or
mesh measures for net making (Moore:
1916: 432-433)
 Function
• “Mounted on a staff or handle as a
ceremonial weapon or on the
stem of a calumet.
(Hodge:1907:125)
• 3 crescent shaped bannerstones
were plowed up in a field in North
Carolina. All were mounted on the
ends of stone handles, both the
bannerstone and handles were
made of micaceous slate; 1 ft
long, ornamented with rings on
both upper and lower parts. (Baer
1921: 445-447)
 Function
• Hole was often worn smooth on half of its length,
and breaks in bannerstones occur at the ends of
the perforation, from a force that originates from
within the object.
• A bannerstone found in a burial, strung together
with beads and worn around the neck. (Webb
1950a: 348)
• Another was found, also strung with beads in
one of the small mounds at Spiro (Hamilton,
1952: 47-48)
 Function
• Wooden atl-atls discovered that were flat and
approximately 26 inches long. (Guernsey and
Kidder 1921:81, 1919:plate 83)
• Decorative ceremonial object designating Clan,
phratry, dodem, family emblem.
• Headdress adornment (Shown on Copper
Plates)
• Pendulum (Symmetry)
• Sun-dial Astrolabe for navigation.
Bannerstones as Head Adornment,
Rogan Plate
Wilmington (Richardson) Tablet
• Waverly sandstone with inscribed
decoration,
• H. 4.88 in (123.84mm),
• W. 3.86 in (98.44mm),
• T. 0.63 in (15.9mm),
• Dated circa 500BC. Adena Culture.
 Welch Butterfly
• Description (general): Engraved white stone double notched butterfly
• Material (medium): White Stone
• Approximate ~4300 BC (Lutz, Archaic Bannerstone)
• Width (Diam.): 6”
• Providence: Warren County, Ohio, Wilmington Mound
• Ownership: Smithsonian Institute
• Dr. L.B. Welch and J.M. Richardson and John W. Jones found on February 12, 1879. In
southwest direction from the vault where the Wilmington Tablet was discovered, scarcely 2 feet
from edge of vault about the same distance from the base of the cone-like center. A circle of
round stones similar to those forming the extremities of the vault was found upon the original
surface of the ground, and in diameter was about thirty inches and was built up to a height of
twenty inches. The space enclosed was filled with ashes, in which the double notched butterfly
was found standing upon edge at the center of the pit, the bottom of which was formed by two
stones, lying in a trough-like shape. Declared at the time the most interesting relic… that has
ever yet been found.
• A description of Prehistoric Relics found near Wilmington, Ohio. By L. B Welch and J.M
Richardson. AAOJ, Vol 1, pp 40-48, An Illustrated Description of Prehistoric Relics found near
Wilmington, Ohio. L, B. Welch and J. M. Richardson, Journal Steam Print, Wilmington, 1879
Other Effigy Bannerstones
 Other Effigy Bannerstones

Double-notched butterfly bannerstone. Burr's Hill Burial Ground, Warren, RI, found
by A.T. Vaugh in 1894. Published by Edward Lenik in Picture Rocks.
Astrolabe, Crosse Staffe
 Publications
• Luman Birch Welch and J.M. Richardson (
1879)
• Warren Moorehead (1917)
• Byron Knoblock (1939)
• David Lutz (2000)
• Edward Harvey (2007)
 Conclusion
• Most were Not Used on Atl-atl
• Some Used as Headdress Adornment
• Use may Derive from Astrolabe Function