Sandy, a centuries-old Indian artifact found in Wilson County in the 1930s, may soon become the official Tennessee state artifact, under a bill moving through the state legislature.
The stone sculpture of a kneeling man is believed to be one of the oldest pieces of Indian art ever found in Tennessee. The piece was made during the Mississippian Period, which ran from the 9th century through the 15th century AD. The University of Tennessee's McClung Museum has owned the sculpture since 1940.
House Bill 2443, sponsored by state Rep. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, would add Sandy to Tennessee's long list of official state arts and crafts. Those include nine state songs, a state poem, a state tartan and two state paintings (of a raccoon and a quail).
Another measure pending in the legislature, House Bill 1662, would create the state's first official fife and drum corps.
