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JP6.jpg (22 KB)
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| This is the best banner I have and it came from an auction. I'm 99% sure it came from the field I collect in because I knew the guy and he hunted that same field alot back in the 50"s and 60's and it was from his estate. This has been pecked into shape, ground fairly smoothly, and partially drilled. |
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JP5.jpg (21 KB)
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This is a different angle that demonstrates how the hole was drilled. A hollow reed and sand was used to make the hole. Some banners have holes 3 or 4 inches in length The hollow reed left a dimple or nipple in the middle of the hole. To finish the banner, the hole would be drilled all the way through and finely abrasive material would be used to bring the surface to a high polish.
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jp1.jpg (24 KB)
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| Maybe 8 or 9 years ago I found a half of an atlatl weight. Last spring I found the other half. Both sides are fairly banged up but fit together perfectly. I really like finding a piece of an artifact or fossil and then finding the other half. This especially appies to bannerstones. |
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00012.jpg (23 KB)
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| These don't look like much. They are in the initial stage of constuction. Both have been roughly pecked into shape. The next stage would be to refine the shape further, then the long and difficult drilling process would begin, followed by final grinding and polishing. |
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00009.jpg (20 KB)
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| Here is a real nice banner I found made from very attractive material. I think it could be green banded slate that had been traded in from the midwest but not certain about that. In the photo, you can see concentric circles around what is left of the hole (or centrum). These marks were made by the hollow reed and sand used in the drilling process. |
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F1.jpg (26 KB)
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| Here are some flint nodules that I found in the banks of a creek in Trenton. I believe they were ballast from an English ship and used as fill back in colonial times. These nodules have a white surface, are eccentric in shape, and are a high quality black flint(formed in Limestone). They could have been used for gunflints and other fire starting purposes. |
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