THE ARCHEOLOGICAL HISTORY OF NEW YORK 363 



In general, however, the headpiece was curved upward so as to fit 

 against the mouth, which gives a crescent or boat shape to many 

 specimens. 



The utihty of such an object as a whorl, once discovered, would 

 bring about many further variations and new outline motives would 

 be employed. Dr George Byron Gordon in his study of banner 

 stones suggests that certain forms were derived by the lines suggested 

 by a whale's tail and we see no reason why this idea should not seem 

 plausible though tails of other aquatic creatures may have been 

 likewise copied. 



Our conclusion is that the banner stone is a portion of a more 

 complex utensil or ornament and was designed to be placed upon a 

 shaft or spindle. The manner in which this was done and the pur- 

 pose is suggested by the experiments described. We can by no 

 means be certain that any of these suggested uses were employed, 

 but likewise we can not positively say that none of them, is valid, 

 especially in the face of the presumptive evidence we have advanced. 



Process of manufacture. In the State Museum collections 

 are about twenty banner stones in the process of manufacture. 

 We are able through an examination of these articles (specimens 

 of which are found in almost every stage of the process of manu- 

 facture from the crude block of indeterminate form to the finely 

 polished specimen) to describe in a measure the various stages 

 in the making of banner stones. The unfinished forms are usually 

 not of slate which was easily worked and quickly finished, but of 

 compact shale, schist, sandstone or granite. The material out of 

 which this series is made is tough rock not easily worked or 

 perforated. 



The first process, after a suitable material had been found, was 

 to chip the implement into shape, outlining the wings and centrum. 

 With the exception of the central bulb from which the wings expand 

 and the indentation on the upward curve, all these heavier specimens 

 in form are kidney or bean-shaped. The second process as indicated 

 by our series was that of picking or pitting, the third process that of 

 scouring or grinding and the fourth finishing the polish. A set of 

 these specimens also indicates that the hole or perforation was started 

 in the centrum on the upcurving side. Preparations for the perfora- 

 tion was also indicated on specimens which have merely been blocked 

 out, by a picked-in indentation. It would seem therefore that the 

 shaft which we postulate was placed in the centrum, was inserted 

 first at this point. It may be possible that the shaft was sometimes 

 placed in the unfinished specimen. 



