Textile Fibers used in Eastern Aboriginal North AmericaWhitford, A. C.
History
Textile Fibers used in Eastern Aboriginal North America
Whitford, A. C.
Indian textile fabrics -- East (U.S.); Textile fibers
It is evident that raw _Boehmeria_ fiber, properly treated, produces
especially fine, soft, and strong material. It is easily distinguished
from the fibers of the other members of the family by its smaller
size, the shape of the cells, and their distribution when seen in
cross-section. Both the _Urtica_ and _Laportea_ fibers are coarser and
the ratio of length to width of the fiber is much greater. The lumen
in all three is longer one way than the other, but is much more open
in _Boehmeria cylindrica_ than the other species.
The slender nettle (_Urtica gracilis_, Ait.) seems to have been a
favorite source for all peoples from prehistoric to modern Indians.
Its use extended from New England to Wisconsin. It was usually
processed before use, except among some of the prehistoric peoples
where it was merely twisted into cord. A bag from the caves of
Tennessee (USNM 132255) is made from this fiber which has had some
preliminary treatment. A modern Sauk and Fox bag (MAIHF 2-7911) shows
complete preliminary processing. Some string in the Peabody Museum of
Harvard University (A4109), is made from this plant; this is
protohistoric material. The Hopewell culture of Ohio is represented by
twelve specimens using this fiber, all of which show some preliminary
treatment. A sample of cloth from a copper plate is representative
(OSHAM 283). The cave and rock-shelter cultures of Ohio are
represented, but here the fiber seems to have received little, if
any, preliminary treatment prior to use (OSHAM 332-42).
The woods nettle (_Laportea canadensis_, L.) was most widely used of
all of the _Urticaceae_, both before and after treatment. It was used
by the Sauk and Fox for bags, after it had received thorough
treatment. In the Milwaukee Public Museum is a bag (30260) made of
this material, thoroughly treated before being twisted into fine cord.
A string used for tying a spear point to a shaft is in the Ojibway
collection of the American Museum (50-4748). The Iroquois used it to
make burden straps (MAIHF 19-8895). Braided cloth from prehistoric
Kentucky is represented by a specimen (56795) in the Peabody Museum of
Harvard University. The cave culture of Tennessee is represented in
the United States National Museum by a shirt (132254) made from this
fiber. The Hopewell culture of Ohio is well represented by fabrics in
the Ohio State Historical and Archaeological Museum (957, is an
example). The cave and rock-shelter culture of the same state employed
this fiber to make twined cords as is exemplified by a cord (OSHAM
332-34). The cave and rock-shelter cultures of Arkansas used it for
the manufacture of twisted cords as may be seen in a specimen
(19-4630) in the Museum of the American Indian, Heye Foundation.
OBJECTS FROM SPIRO MOUND, OKLAHOMA
The well-known Spiro Mound, clearly prehistoric, furnished some
examples of basketry, matting, cord, and cloth. The samples were sent
to the writer by Mr. H. M. Trowbridge, Bethel, Kansas.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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