Fig. 352. (S. 2–5.) Found in Indiana. Material: banded slate. Handle, hickory. Phillips Academy collection.
CHAPTER XXI
GROUND STONE—PROBLEMATICAL FORMS
PICK AND CRESCENT, THE BOAT-SHAPED, BAR-FORMS, ETC.—CONCLUSIONS
There are many winged perforated stones different from the forms commonly called banner-stones. In some specimens one of the wings is omitted, the other being cut angularly, forming the L-shaped objects shown in Figs. 353 and 354. The L-shaped objects are closely related to the crescents. I have seen few unfinished objects of the L-shaped class. A series of six unfinished specimens, pick or crescent type, are shown in Fig. 356. A comparison of Figs. 355, 356, and 357 will indicate that the range is from pick-shaped (shown in the centre of Fig. 355) to slightly curved pick crescents, terminating in examples like the beautiful large crescent shown in Fig. 358. This specimen is, by the way, one of the best in any collection in this country. Little or nothing is known regarding these pick- and crescent-shaped forms and absolutely nothing regarding the L-shaped. So far as theory is concerned, I am of the opinion that two of them were worn by men during ceremonial dances, or something of that sort. Then they were fastened to the head and stood up on either side in imitation of horns. I have no evidence of that belief; it is simply my opinion.
BARS AND BAR-AMULETS
The “Handbook” says a little about these. Mr. A. E. Douglas, of the American Museum, in a pamphlet published some years ago, offered remarks concerning them. I present Figs. 364 to 368 illustrating these. All kinds are shown from the straight bar to the ridged bar, to the highly complicated form shown in Fig. 367. Whether these were worn on the forearm, or tied to the head, or worn across the chest, I am unable to state. All these various uses have been assigned them by other observers.
It will be seen that there are not only straight bars, but bars with the ends slightly enlarged, as specimen number 22 in Fig. 364, and also bars, convex above, and flat underneath. One with a ridge along the back is shown in the lower figure in 365.
The ridged gorgets gradually develop, according to my arrangement, until they terminate in bars, or the series may be traced the other way. Five of these are shown in Fig. 366. However, there is this difference, the bars are perforated or grooved at each end and the ridged gorgets are perforated on either side of the centre.
Fig. 353. (S. 2–3.) All of banded slate. Andover collection. These are the L-shaped or horn-shaped problematical forms, regarding which absolutely nothing is known. Reference to our series of outlines presented in Fig. 292 will indicate that there is gradual progression in this series. The slate bars are slightly curved, forming the dark, L-shaped type shown in the centre of the lower row. I know nothing about these objects.