The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2 — John Shaqi
The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
History
The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2
Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
Indians of North America -- Antiquities; Stone age -- North America
In collecting numbers of these unfinished bird-stones, my object was to
prove that these slender, delicate objects did not indicate European
knowledge or influence, but were wrought after much labor from ordinary
stone by prehistoric man. None of them show the marks of steel
cutting-tools. Fig. 400 is the roughest one and yet the ears or eyes
stand out in relief. Fig. 399 is interesting in that it shows three on
which the result of pecking and battering is in evidence. The one to the
left, lower row, has been pecked, and ground, and was in process of
being polished when the work ceased.
[Illustration:
FIG. 407. (S. 1–2.) Collection of Leslie W. Hills, Fort Wayne,
Indiana.
]
Fig. 401, Andover collection, found in Ohio, is a large bird-stone about
five inches in length. The marks of the flint cutting-tool or of the
hard grained rubbing-stone, which cut the softer surface of the slate,
are still apparent. Fig. 404 presents various bird-stones, both rare and
common forms, with and without ears. These are found long and slender,
short and thick, almost as low as the bar-amulet, and also so high that
they merge into other effigies. Six bird-stones from the collection of
Mr. Leslie W. Hills of Fort Wayne, Indiana, are shown in Fig. 407.
[Illustration:
FIG. 408. (S. 3–5.) “This specimen is from western New York. It is
made in the form of a bird which from the number of similar
specimens have given the name to this class. The eyes are
represented by great protuberances, which must have greatly
increased the difficulty of manufacture. It is made from a boulder
or large piece, and while the material is hard, it is not rough but
rather fragile. It could not be chipped like flint nor whittled like
soapstone, but must have been hammered or pecked into shape and
afterwards ground to its present form, then polished until it is as
smooth as glass. A consideration of the conditions demonstrates the
difficulty of making this object and the dexterity and the
experienced working required.”[1] Material: diorite with feldspar
crystals. Smithsonian collection. Otis M. Bigelow’s collection,
Baldwinsville.
]
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