Boatstone · Late Archaic
Boatstone
2000 BCE–500 CE
The boatstone is a hull-shaped stone object of the Late Archaic and Woodland Eastern Woodlands and Southeast, about 2,000 BCE to 500 CE, hollowed underneath with paired holes for attachment. It is generally interpreted as an atlatl weight. It is less common than bannerstones or birdstones.
| Object | Boatstone |
|---|---|
| Dates | 2000 BCE–500 CE |
| Period | Late Archaic |
| Regions | North America — Eastern Woodlands, North America — Southeast |
Diagnostic traits
Hull-shaped stone with a hollowed underside and paired holes for attachment; probably an atlatl weight.
Identification
Boatstones have a flat or hollowed underside and paired perforations near each end, unlike birdstones, which have a bird form and diagonal holes, and bannerstones, which are drilled through the long axis. Hematite, slate and steatite are typical. Some have a keel.
Reproductions and fakes
Less faked than birdstones but fakes exist in hematite and slate with power-drilled holes. Genuine hollows show pecking and the holes taper.
Cite this article
Stratum Strata. "Boatstone" (Artifact type). Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21. https://stratum.black/strata/types/boatstone. Accessed 2026-09-21.
@misc{stratum-boatstone,
title = {Boatstone},
author = {{Stratum Strata}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/strata/types/boatstone}},
year = {2026},
note = {Artifact type article, Stratum Strata pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-21; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-21.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.