﻿72 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  centuries 
  ago, 
  is 
  certainly 
  strengthened 
  by 
  these 
  rehcs. 
  At 
  that 
  

   time 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  had 
  no 
  settled 
  inhabitants, 
  and 
  the 
  

   New 
  England 
  seaboard 
  does 
  not 
  seem 
  to 
  have 
  been 
  reached 
  by 
  the 
  

   Algonquins. 
  

  

  BANNSR 
  STONBS 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Abbott 
  classed 
  certain 
  perforated 
  ' 
  relics 
  as 
  banner 
  stones 
  or 
  

   ornamental 
  stones, 
  either 
  used 
  in 
  the 
  decoration 
  of 
  weapons 
  or 
  for 
  

   suspension 
  from 
  the 
  body, 
  after 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  breastplates/ 
  He 
  

   adds, 
  ' 
  Whatever 
  may 
  have 
  been 
  the 
  manner 
  of 
  exhibiting 
  such 
  

   stone 
  ornaments 
  it 
  is 
  impossible 
  to 
  determine, 
  but 
  the 
  fortunate 
  

   possessor 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  specimen 
  might 
  well 
  be 
  proud 
  of 
  it. 
  May 
  it 
  not 
  

   be 
  that 
  such 
  stones 
  were 
  the 
  charms 
  of 
  the 
  medicine 
  men? 
  Stones 
  

   that 
  were 
  concealed 
  from 
  the 
  general 
  gaze 
  of 
  the 
  crowd, 
  and 
  only 
  

   brought 
  to 
  view 
  with 
  elaborate 
  coverings 
  on 
  great 
  occasions. 
  They 
  

   do 
  not 
  seem 
  sufficiently 
  abundant 
  to 
  be 
  simply 
  the 
  ornaments 
  of 
  

   chiefs 
  and 
  warriors'. 
  

  

  All 
  archaeologists 
  nearly 
  have 
  conceded 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  not 
  in- 
  

   tended 
  for 
  mere 
  use, 
  and 
  an 
  effort 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  call 
  them 
  cere- 
  

   monial 
  objects. 
  The 
  good 
  sense 
  of 
  the 
  public 
  is 
  likely 
  to 
  prevail 
  

   in 
  retaining 
  Dr. 
  Abbott's 
  name. 
  They 
  are 
  peculiar 
  to 
  America, 
  

   and 
  are 
  of 
  early 
  date 
  although 
  surface 
  finds. 
  They 
  were 
  unknown 
  

   to 
  the 
  Iroquois, 
  nor 
  has 
  their 
  use 
  been 
  perpetuated 
  by 
  the 
  later 
  

   Indians; 
  but 
  they 
  are 
  much 
  more 
  abundant 
  than 
  Dr. 
  Abbott 
  sup- 
  

   posed. 
  

  

  Mr. 
  Fowke's 
  treatment 
  of 
  banner 
  stones 
  is 
  somewhat 
  confused, 
  

   but 
  he 
  sensibly 
  retains 
  Dr. 
  Abbott's 
  name, 
  so 
  much 
  more 
  definite 
  

   than 
  that 
  of 
  ceremonial 
  objects. 
  That 
  they 
  were 
  suspended 
  as 
  orna- 
  

   ments 
  for 
  the 
  body, 
  however, 
  seems 
  in 
  no 
  way 
  probable, 
  while 
  the 
  

   central 
  perforation 
  gives 
  force 
  to 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  they 
  were 
  placed 
  

   on 
  slender 
  poles 
  for 
  badges 
  of 
  authority 
  or 
  use 
  in 
  ceremonies. 
  At 
  

   the 
  same 
  time 
  they 
  so 
  commonly 
  accompanied 
  the 
  owner 
  on 
  long 
  

   journeys, 
  that 
  they 
  may 
  have 
  had 
  some 
  superstitious 
  use. 
  They 
  

   occur 
  mostly 
  east 
  of 
  the 
  Mississippi 
  or 
  in 
  its 
  drainage. 
  

  

  They 
  were 
  not 
  all 
  drilled 
  alike. 
  Some 
  New 
  York 
  specimens, 
  un- 
  

   finished, 
  show 
  a 
  pointed 
  spiral 
  hole, 
  such 
  as 
  might 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  

   by 
  a 
  flint 
  drill. 
  Others 
  have 
  a 
  central 
  core 
  remaining, 
  showing 
  

  

  