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Wisconson Winged Bannerstone, 4000-2000 B.C.E.. Spotted porphy stone, 4 3/8 x 5 5/8 in. (11.1 x 14.3 cm). A. Augustus Healy Fund, 77.30.1. Creative Commons-BY.
In the woodlands regions of North America, stone and quartzes were materials used extensively for ritual and utilitarian items. A bannerstone likely had a practical function as a counterweight on an atlatl, a long wooden shaft with a hooked end that was used to add power to a hunter’s arm when throwing a spear. The bannerstone’s wings may have provided balance. Bannerstones are often found far from stone sources, indicating they were part of a large trade network.