July
27
/ 2018
A bannerstone is an enigmatic Native American artifact found in the eastern United States. They come in a range of shapes and sizes and are made of various types of stone. These stones have been discovered in graves dating to the Archaic period (8000 to 1000 BC), but there are questions if the artifacts were used for ceremonial or practical purposes. Can the mystery be solved by experimental archaeology? The term ‘bannerstone’ was coined by scholars who lived during the early 20th century. At that time, it was thought that these stone objects were used solely for ceremonial purposes. The scholars believed the stones were mounted onto shafts and used as emblems or ceremonial weapons. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"50872","attributes":{"alt":"A bannerstone, the Metropolitan Museum
