Embossed Copper Plate, Peregrine Falcon
name: label: Donor Name
content: Accession Number Unknown
notes: label: Notes
content: The so-called "Peoria falcon plate" is a Mississippian embossed copper sheet headdress plate shaped as a falcon, excavated in 1859 by Sidney Pulsifer from "the shore of Lake Peoria". Per Dr. Bruce Smith: The Peoria falcon was recovered from an earthen mound on the shore of the Illinois River in 1859 and obtained by John Wesley Powell, Director of the Smithsonian Institution's Bureau of (American) Ethnology, this embossed copper plate depicts a Peregrine Falcon, symbol of the heavens, and would have been displayed during ceremonies by the Native American society that occupied the area at ca. AD 1200.
label: Notes
content: From card: "Embossed decoration. From grave. Falcon design (See sketch on back of card.) Illust. 12th Ann. Rept. B.A.E. p. 309 fig. 192; SI. Ann. Rept. U.S.N.M. 1896 - p. 502 fig. 151 (erroneously labeled Union Co., Ill.); and 5th Ann. Rept. B.A.E. p. 105 fig. 48. Latter states specimen was obtained by Maj. Powell, Director U.S. Geol. Survey "from a mound near Peoria Ill." Sketch in "Etowah Papers," Moorehead, ed. 1932 p. 22 fig. cc. U.S.N.M. Ann. Rep., Fig. 151, p. 502. 1975 - Specimen permanently mounted in plexiglass frame, on exhibit. The frame was designed years ago by exhibits' adhesive was used to secure plate to plexiglass. - J. Gardner."
label: Notes
content: This is probably part of the large Bureau of American Ethnology transfer accession number 14255, year 1884.
label: Record Last Modified
content: 26 Apr 2024
label: Specimen Count
content: 1
place: label: Place
content: Peoria, Peoria County, Illinois, United States, North America
topic: label: Topic
content: Archaeology
culture: label: Culture
content: Middle Mississippian
setName: label: See more items in
content: Anthropology
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: NMNH - Anthropology Dept.
identifier: label: Accession Number
content: 000000
label: USNM Number
content: A91507-0
objectType: label: Object Type
content: Plate