Stone Pectoral ?

[nitram7]

In the summer I purchased a grab bag box with some stone artifacts.
Two, a bannerstone and a birdstone , I posted on this forum and got some great help.
I have another piece from that lot. At first I thought it was some sort of stone blade, possibly Chinese
Now I am wondering if it is a stone pectoral.
Any ideas ?
Thank you

[painshill]

Hi Kevin
I've edited your post and used the "insert" button against your pictures to bring them up at full-size. But how big is that item?

[clovisoid]

It's a klangplatten/bat wing gorget from the Teta de Niquitao site in Venezuela.

[clovisoid]

Sorry, I was going to add some pictures and go busy.  I used to collect that site quite extensively, and I'm about 99% sure I traded that piece to a collector in Ohio back in the 90's.
Here are a couple of mine from the same site.

Pictured in an old book.

Pictured in an older book.

[rmartin]

Wow, you can't get more precise than that. Thanks for the detailed answer Clovisoid. Congrats Nitram on a very fine piece!

[nitram7]

What can I say, that's terrific !
Thanks very much.
I can't believe you had that info.
What is the book ?
And thank you painshill for blowing up my pics.
This is a really good forum ( :
Thanks again.

[nitram7]

What else can you tell me about it ?
How old is it ? What culture ? Do you know what kind of stone ?
Thank you

[clovisoid]

I'll post up some more information after my son's soccer game.

[chase]

WOW !!! Amazed!!! Thank you Joshua!

[SDhunter]

I guess its a small world.  That's amazing.  So did I read that right, that Joshua owned that piece at one time?
Cool.   Gary

[clovisoid]

Gary, Yes, I owned it and traded it a while back.

[clovisoid]

Nitram, the site is related to the Tairona culture of Northern Colombia, and dates from about 500 AD to contact in the 1500's.  This site is a small villiage with a bunch of small middens which sits about 12,000 feet above sea level.  Not much agriculture going on up there, so they probably traded these for food and other resources.  (Bigger cultures could afford to mantain groups of artists who created things vs farming/hunting for their own food.)
The site produces mostly broken ones, and unfinished examples.  Some of the complete pieces were probably waiting to be moved north.
Here is an uncut one where you can see the stain from some smaller ones stacked up with it.  Bad picture, but I can't find the higher resolution pictures.

[Hoss]

Joshua you have some amazing artifacts man. Thanks for sharing

[nitram7]

Great information. thanks very much.
Do you recall to whom you sold your gorget ?
Reason i ask is because I bought a group of pieces at auction. In the box were a bannerstone, birdstone, this gorget, a pre columbian figure and some other pieces. I'd like to know more about the other pieces which are not North or South American.I thought if I could track down the guy you sold the gorget, maybe he could tell me something.
Thanks again and have a nice weekend.

[nitram7]

I forgot to ask you, what is the reference book ?
Thanks