Bird Stone
1500-500 B.C.E.
Maker Unknown
Arts of the Americas
Bird stones have been largely found along the eastern coast of North America, from as far north as Nova Scotia, and as far west as the Mississippi River. There are many theories about the objects’ function. Were they associated with religion? Were they fastened to clothing to indicate status or stage of life? Were they ancient game pieces or handles for a spear thrower (atlatl)? Bird stones are typically carved from exceptional types of hard stone, and the quantity of surviving examples existing today indicates their popularity.
- Maker/Artist
- Maker Unknown
- Classification
- Sculpture
- Formatted Medium
- Mottled greenstone
- Medium
- mottled, greenstone
- Locations
- Place found: Michigan, United States
- Period
- Pre-contact
- Dimensions
- 1 3/4 x 1 1/2 x 4 in. (4.4 x 3.8 x 10.2 cm)
- Departments
- Arts of the Americas
- Accession Number
- 63.198
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Alastair B. Martin, the Guennol Collection
- Rights Statement
- Creative Commons-BY
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