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Jim Bennett's Artifact Blog
Jim Bennett is from Polk, Ohio and he is the owner of Bennett's Artifacts & Auctions. Jim has been involved with artifacts for over two decades, and is especially drawn to relic oddities, and artifacts that were salvaged in ancient times. Jim has written 8 books on artifacts, including several titles devouted to authentication.
Jim's website for his auctions and artifacts is www.oldrelics.com, and his authentication website is www.bennettauthentications.com
Understanding Ancient American Timelines
One of the fun things about working full time in the relics business is the people that stop in each week with items to share. Whenever people stop in for authentication work, or to drop off consignements for auction, or just to stop by and talk rocks for a bit, they usually will bring along a couple neat artifacts to look over.
Such was the case today when Jason Hanna from Medina Ohio was in the area on his way to look at a collection that was for sale. Jason dropped in and he, Keith Ray, a local collector who works for us doing photography and digital image work and myself had a grand time at the local diner having lunch and talking relics, and looking over this neat artifact from Jason's collection.
I have always loved panel banners due to their oblong drilled hole, and Jason knew of my penchant for salvaged relics - so this was a real treat to handle. A panel banner which was uniquely salvaged in to a pendant. Based on the wear patterns in the hole that we saw under the microscope, the cord came down through the center hole, and then through the two perforated holes that were added at some later time to convert this banner into a pendant. 
Why Panel Bannerstones and Geniculate Banners were drilled in this fashion remains unknown, but no doubt there was a purpose to spending the extra time to gouge out the hole into this shape.
As it typical for many slate relics that were altered from breakage, or salvaged - incised carvings were added to the relics surface - another ancient mystery. Why ancient man
would add such designs to items that were salvaged in another mystery - and another reason i love salvaged relics - lots of curious intrigue.
The fun part about history is studying the things that occured before our existence. The most fun thing about ancient history to me is that since it predates the written record, we have many thing such as oblong holes, curious salvage and strange design carvings such as are on this piece to ponder, theorize and hypothosize about - all which add to the allure of collecting ancient relics.
Thanks Jason for stopping by and sharing this very unique item - it was nice to visit and talk relics :-)
Jim Bennett
When it comes to Ancient Axes, most of us are familiar with the 1/2 groove, 3/4 groove, full groove, the rare double grooved - but has anyone ever seen a a doube 90 degree angle 3/4 groove? I think this could go down as a one of a kind - as many creatively salvaged artifacts can.
This is one of the stranger salvaged stone relics I have come across. Many of my customers and friends know that I am very intrigued by anciently salvaged artifacts, and while some people go from table to table at shows looking for G-10's at a good buy - I tend to scour the junk boxes and bargain bins for some ancient salvage that someone has missed.
I ran into Matt Rowe from Oklahoma at a show down in Arkansas this spring, and he had this beauty. We scratched our heads trying to figure out the story behind the strange shape, and I decided on the spot that I had to talk him out of this one. How can anyone pass up such a ... a... well, ok - its not exactly a beauty - but it sure looked cool - and no doubt, a subject of an ancient salvage job.
It's amazing how often artifacts tend to travel from one part of the county to another. A point found in California gets left to a family member from Idaho who sells the collection to a collector in Illinois who breaks some out and sells a portion to a guy in New Jersey. It happens all the time.
Just because a relic is in an old collection from one area never means that artifact is from that particular area. Many people collect from all over, and collectors have been doing that since collecting began.
Often I will hear someone say "well, I am not sure exactly where it came from, but the collection was in Texas". OK, but just because the collection was assembled in Texas certainly doesn't mean all the artifacts in the collection are from Texas. I think this is one way incorrect provenience gets associated with a particular item.
While I was at the Expo I got a chance to look over alot of artifacts, purchase some good ole ancient relics to run in the next catalog, and to simply enjoy seeing some of the "best of the best" artifacts that were there on display. Of course, I was also looking over the many tables for those little oddities that I like to collect personally - salvaged relics, abnormally styled stone and flints etc.
As I walked past one table, an artifact caught my attention - not because it was a G-10 example of some great rarity, and not because it was a great example of ancient craftsmanship, but rather because it looked totally out of place amidst the other flint points, slate ornaments and stone tools which covered the tops of most of the tables.
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I had a local collector call me and ask if he could bring over a bannerstone he recently found to have a COA done on it for documentation reasons. A short while later he arrived with the dandy winged banner that was fresh from the field.
