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Birdstone
Birdstone
1500–1000 BC
Stone (black-and-white porphyry?)
Overall: 5.1 x 3.2 cm (2 x 1 1/4 in.)
Private Collection 2.2018
Location
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Description
Archaic-period birdstones, distributed widely in the Great Lakes region, are thought to be weights that were lashed to spear-throwers to improve control of the weapons. Given their artistry and craftsmanship, they may also have been emblems of prestige, talismans that heightened a hunter’s luck, or clan symbols. This example is said to have been found in modern-day Michigan.
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