Birdstones have been long prized by art and artifact collectors. Many consider these exquisitely beautiful stones to be the pinnacle of prehistoric North American art. Their sensuously smooth lines and abstract designs are part of their appeal but they are also exceedingly rare and becoming increasingly valuable.
Birdstones are small abstract bird effigies ranging in size from about 3-6 inches (7.5-15 cm) in length. They were mostly commonly made of greenish-banded slate but also of porphyry, quartzite, granite, and even copper. No two are exactly alike but most generally have the characteristics of a bird. Some, however, look more like dogs, lizards, or turtles but the artform as a whole is generally described as ‘birdstone.’
Birdstones first appeared in the middle Archaic period around 5,000 years ago and continued into the early Woodland period to about 2,500 years before present. Some have been uncovered in burial sites and mounds but most have been simply found laying in fields and along bodies of water.
The vast majority of these stones have been found in the regions surrounding the Great Lakes, from Minnesota to the eastern seaboard and as far south as Georgia. The epicenter of discoveries has been in northeastern Indiana, northwestern Ohio, southeastern Michigan and southwestern Ontario.
The most common design is a bird with a slender body and neck, often with ridges on top or below. Many have stalked ‘pop eyes.’ In the early Woodland period, a ‘bust’ type appeared consisting of only the bird’s head and shoulders. Most are flat on the bottom while others have feet but they almost always have a pair of perforations drilled into their bases which infers that they would have been fastened on to something.
But what? The theories are endless. One of the more accepted ideas is that they served as weights or handle grips on spear-throwing atlatls. Some thought they were worn by men, attached to a plate and fixed to the hair. Others stated that the ornaments were worn on the heads of Indian women but only after marriage and may have symbolized a brooding bird.
Maybe they were attached to pipe stems or flutes, canoe prows and gunnels, or maybe they were game bag and quiver fetishes. Some birdstones resemble swimming ducks lending credence to the idea that they were decoy effigies; their popped-out eyes might have given the bearer better visual acuity. Corn husking devices, maternity charms, conception aids, gaming devices? The guesses go on and on. No one alive has any connection to the Archaic period so who knows for sure?
It’s not a stretch to imagine a birdstone as an amulet or a talisman. Birds have been spiritual inspirations for millennia. Maybe they were just created as pure expressions of art, pleasing baubles carved out on endless nights around the campfire, destined, perhaps, to be a love offering.
As admired as they must have been in prehistoric times, they are no less desired today. If any of these stones could see what they were fetching at auction recently, their eyes would certainly pop out some more! The famous Townsend North American artifact collection went up for auction in 2013 and the highlight was the sale of 54 birdstones; two of them sold for $130,000 each and seven others brought in over $50,000 each! Soon after, the ‘Smithsonian’ birdstone, a nice piece made of porphyry found in Wisconsin in 1882, sold for over $800,000! With those kinds of prices, you won’t be surprised to know that there are lots of fakes out there.
courtesy Smithsonian/arrowheadology.com
The market is apparently flooded with fakes. It’s difficult to tell the difference between genuine and reproduction because so few real birdstones are available for study. Fakers can take detailed drawings and photographs of the best specimens at museums and make copies in the correct kind of stone, apply some patina and weathering, and pass them off as the real thing. Experts can pick out most impostors but some of them are so good, it’s almost impossible to tell.
The authentic ones are in museums and private collections so the likelihood of getting a real one cheap on Ebay is highly unlikely, yet every week, several are on offer and are selling for big bucks.
Your best bet for acquiring a real birdstone is to purchase one from a reputable collector or to hit a freshly plowed field and start looking for your own. You may be out there for a while, though, as one collector estimates that there are about two million arrowheads found for each birdstone discovered! He estimates less than 5,000 authentic birdstones have ever been uncovered.
One avid collector, Stephen Dowell, wrote of his admiration for birdstones while studying a specimen: ”As I sat there, bird in hand, I could not help but to marvel at it. I did not want to let it go. It was like having to tell a loved one goodbye. True, the banded slate it is made of is beautiful. True, the symmetry is outstanding, and true, the history behind it would stagger the mind of any collector interested in the history of this fine hobby of ours… The mystery of… one of the most interesting artifacts ever left behind by early North American man generates the extreme interest I have in birdstones.”
Source-pinterest
We may never know the true meaning or purpose of these prehistoric enigmas but can still enjoy them for their subtle beauty and mystery.
Wow greate article!
You just got a 9.56% upvote from @postdoctor!
Thanks for using the @postdoctor service!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Thanks, postdoctor. Much appreciated!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
upvoted, hope you also visit my blog thanks for this great post work
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
very good concept bro...keep voting work as a team
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
thank you!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
If You Follow upvote comment and resteem me i will do same
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
followed, upvoted, and resteeming your bitcoin in bangladesh post
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Hi! I am a robot. I just upvoted you! I found similar content that readers might be interested in:
http://rslive.bslcore.com/article.php?aid=3906&cid=5
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
2.17% @pushup from @cavesson
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
This post has received a 3.12 % upvote from @voterunner thanks to: @cavesson. BIG NEWS: Build your passive income with daily payouts from @voterunner! Read more about earning SBD with me. Daily. The easy way!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
You got a 0.81% upvote from @allaz courtesy of @cavesson!
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit
Congratulations! This post has been upvoted from the communal account, @minnowsupport, by cavesson from the Minnow Support Project. It's a witness project run by aggroed, ausbitbank, teamsteem, theprophet0, someguy123, neoxian, followbtcnews, and netuoso. The goal is to help Steemit grow by supporting Minnows. Please find us at the Peace, Abundance, and Liberty Network (PALnet) Discord Channel. It's a completely public and open space to all members of the Steemit community who voluntarily choose to be there.
If you would like to delegate to the Minnow Support Project you can do so by clicking on the following links: 50SP, 100SP, 250SP, 500SP, 1000SP, 5000SP.
Be sure to leave at least 50SP undelegated on your account.
Downvoting a post can decrease pending rewards and make it less visible. Common reasons:
Submit