North America, Native American, Lauderdale County, Alabama, Late Archaic period, ca. 3000 BCE. A two-hole stone gorget in the "reel" style. Thin in cross section and made from a smooth red piece of shale or hard mudstone, this gorget has been hand ground and polished into a form sometimes also known as "bow-tie" for obvious reasons. The gorget form was found throughout the Eastern United States and sometimes as far afield as Missouri, associated with the Archaic and Woodland periods. They were likely made to be worn around the throat or suspended on the breast as a kind of pectoral, but because they are often isolated finds, no one is certain. They would have had social significance, perhaps indicating a status or role in society, but that meaning is now lost to time as well. Size: 4" W x 3.75" H (10.2 cm x 9.5 cm)

Provenance: private Vaught collection, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; found by Tom Hendrix in 1961, find # LU-17

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#124859

Tiny loss to one edge and slight surface scoring, otherwise gorgeous condition.