Bâton de commandement

A bâton de commandement, bâton percé or perforated baton is a name given by archaeologists to a particular prehistoric artifact that has been much debated. The name bâtons de commandement was the name first applied to the class of artifacts, but it makes an assumption of function; the name bâton percé, meaning "pierced rod", or "perforated baton" (the term used by the British Museum) is a more recent term, and is descriptive of form rather than any presumed function.