Birdstone   Save
W. K. Moorehead Collection
Description: This birdstone has a flat base and sides which curve slightly, to form a rounded ridge in the midline along the top. One end is shaped to form a stylized head and neck, possibly of a bird, while the other end forms a large, slightly fan-shaped tail. This particular piece lacks the polish typical of birdstones. The slate is very pale brown, light brownish gray, dark reddish brown, and black in color. Although the function of birdstones is unknown, they might have served as highly-decorative spearthrower weights. This piece comes from the Glacial Kame Culture. The Glacial Kame people are noted for their emphasis on ceremony, but their daily lives were much like those of other Archaic cultures. They hunted with spears aided by spear throwers. Deer, their major source of meat, also provided antler tines that were made into tools for pressure flaking flint knives and spear points, or into harpoons for fishing. Deer leg bones were cut and ground into sharp-pointed awls for sewing and basket making. Slate and coal from glacial deposits were made into ornaments, perhaps for "everyday" use. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: A0067_000037_A_1
Subjects: Prehistoric peoples; Effigies;
Places: W. K. Moorehead Collection