THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 361 



distance so that 3 to 5 inches protruded we find by handhng the 

 arrangement that there is a tendency to whirl the shaft, the weight of 

 the banner stone making the combination spin hke a stem-heavy 

 top. This gives rise to the idea of its use as a spindle whorl for 

 fire making and drilling. In our experiments we used nearly every 

 type of banner stone with equal success and all forms of drilling, 

 v/ere used including the pull string, strap bow and pump. The thin- 

 winged forms were especially efficient, the air resistance giving 

 weight and steadiness to the rotating shaft. This is so apparent that 

 a pump drill worked on a smooth surface, in conjunction with a 

 banner stone used as a fly-wheel, keeps the shaft rotating upon one 

 point. 



The use of the banner stone upon a spindle must have been 

 apparent to the banner stone maker. A simple twist of the spindle 

 would reveal its possibility as a whorl and with this discovery its use 

 would be suggested. We can not see how the aborigine of the 

 polished stone age could have neglected to employ the banner stone 

 as our experiments suggest. 



This subject leads us to inquire into the prototype of the banner 

 stone and to discover the reason for its various forms. The wings of 

 the artifact suggest in some ways the wings of a flying bird, other 

 forms suggest the ears of an animal sewed together or maple seed 

 pods, while still others plainly represent horns. Our knowledge of the 

 Indians' veneration for the thunder bird and indeed their regard 

 for the assumed magical qualities of birds, suggests the possibility 

 that the banner stone wings were the heavy portion of an effigy 

 designed to represent a bird, which was fastened to the spindle or 

 shaft. The horned type of banner stone might represent the horns of 

 a buffalo or some mythical monster that was believed to emit fire 

 or to symbolize power. The horned type of banner stone in a 

 considerable number of specimens has upon the surface at the cen- 

 trum certain cross hatches or incised projections which suggest, to 

 the writer at least, an attempt to represent horns laced, sewed or tied 

 together. Any student of Indian mythology Will quickly recall the 

 many legends of horned monsters, especially serpents. 



Among the uses of the banner stone heretofore suggested is the 

 theory advanced by Frank H. Gushing, which describes the banner 

 stone as used on the stem of a calumet to prevent it from tipping over 

 when placed upon the ground. Within our experience we have not 

 seen banner stones associated closely with pipes, although platform 

 pipes are found many times on the same sites yielding banner 

 stones. We have not learned, however, of a banner stone and 

 pipe from a grave that would bear out this theory. 



