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The ultra-rare artifact shown above was originally pictured in Byron Knoblock’s Bannerstones of the North American Indian on plate 23. It was found in a rock quarry near Grafton in Jersey County, Illinois, most likely around the turn of the century or before, as it was originally in Captain C.W. McKinney’s collection (center bottom). It measures 4 ½”(h) x 4”(d), has a central perforation, and is made from cannel coal that shows signs of great age. Each notch has a series of incised lines, which are incised on both sides (see left and right bottom). Knoblock acquired it on May 25, 1935 (according to his catalog) and thought this was a spindle whorl. However, a chance discovery by James Hayden in northeast Louisiana (reported in this journal in the April 2014 issue) of a group of six ornamental “Breast Plates” of nearly identical appearance to this artifact suggests this is not a spindle whorl at all. The plates found by James Hayden had associated artifacts that suggest a Middle Woodland period time frame (and association with the Marksville Culture) of 100 BC-AD 400. They too had similar engravings and form, with central perforations. They have been additionally shown in Prehistoric American (2020 Number 2) and Who’s Who in Indian Relics Volume 12. The artifact shown above is the only other example known. Photography by Steven R. Cooper See this and other great relics in the CSASI 2022 January Journal

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View of the bannerstone made from Cave Onyx and found in Cocke County, Tennessee. See 'The Yeaman Shell Gorgets from Smith County, Tennessee and a Discussion of “Hand Gorgets” by by Byron McDonald, Mount Juliet, Tennessee, and Kevin E. Smith, Middle Tennessee State University in the CSASI 2022 January Journal See this and other great relics in the CSASI 2022 January Journal