Chunkey Stone- Lamar Mounds, GA

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Institution: Southeast Archeological Center

State: Georgia

Object: Gaming Piece

Era: Mississippian Period

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This game piece was discoverd at Lamar Mounds, outside of present-day Macon, GA. The site and its culture were heavily influenced by Cohokia, one of the largest prehistoric settlements 600 miles away in Illinois. Like Cahokia, Lamar is known for its earthworks as well as their interest in the game of chunkey- a multi-player ball game that began as early as 600AD.

Chunkey was played on an open, flat field with participants operating as "rollers" or "throwers". One rolls a chunkey stone out onto a playing field, while the other throws spears toward where they think the chunkey stone will land. Points are awarded based on proximity and other factors.

Archaeologists find chunkey stones at Mississippian sites through the southeast, however, they all vary in size and shape. The concave element on this chunkey stone is known as the Bradley type. Archaeologists date Bradley-style game pieces between 1350AD and early contact.

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Sources:

• DeBoer, Warren R. "Like a rolling stone: The chunkey game and political organization in eastern North America." Southeastern Archaeology (1993): 83-92.

• Yancey, Miranda, and Brad Koldehoff. "Rolling Icons: Engraved Cahokia-Style Chunkey Stones." Illinois Archaeology 22 (2010): 491-501.

• George, Richard L. "OF DISCOIDALS AND MONONGAHELA: A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN?." Archaeology of Eastern North America (2001): 1-18.

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