The stone age in North America, vol. 1 of 2Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
History
The stone age in North America, vol. 1 of 2
Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
Indians of North America -- Antiquities; Stone age -- North America
“Some years ago, a colored man, ploughing near one of the larger mounds
at Moundville, found a superb hatchet and handle carved from a solid
mass, probably amphibolite, and highly polished. This hatchet was
procured by Mr. C. S. Prince, from whom it was obtained by the Academy
of Natural Sciences.
“The hatchet, 11.6 inches in length, with a neatly made ring at the end
of the handle (not clearly shown in the reproduction), resembles, to a
certain extent, the one found by Dr. Joseph Jones, near Nashville,
Tennessee, and described and figured by him. C. C. Jones describes and
figures this same hatchet, and speaks of the finding of another exactly
similar in South Carolina.
“Thruston also describes and illustrates the Jones hatchet, and refers
to the South Carolina specimen, and to still another, somewhat ruder in
form, as coming from Arkansas.
“It is interesting in this connection to note the presence of ‘celts’
with stone handles in Santo Domingo, though these hatchets are much
inferior to the specimen from Moundville.
“The Monolithic hatchet from Moundville seems to be much more beautiful
than the one discovered by Doctor Jones, for it leaves nothing to be
desired as to finish, and the graceful backward curve of the part of the
handle above the blade seems more artistic than the form of the
corresponding portion of the Jones hatchet, which is straight.”
CHAPTER XVIII
GROUND STONE—PROBLEMATICAL FORMS
THE GORGET AND ORNAMENTS AS SEEN BY EARLY EXPLORERS
On pages 24–26 will be found the Nomenclature Committee’s classification
of these, which it is not necessary to repeat here. While I follow that
grouping, yet I expand it somewhat. I do not begin with the spade-shaped
form, but with the oval, whether pendant or ornament.
[Illustration:
FIG. 289. (S. 1–1.) Perforated pebbles from near Menard mound,
Arkansas County, Arkansas. The simplest form of ornament. Collection
of C. B. Moore, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. 290. (S. 1–1.) An object of jade, which was found on a
village-site, on the banks of the Miami River, Miami County, Ohio.
It is in the collection of J. A. Rayner.
]
Fig. 292, showing two hundred and twenty-one forms in this class, is
followed by a list of figures illustrating each type. It was not
required, therefore, that figures be appended to the Committee’s
list—these outlines being sufficiently close to that arrangement to
stand in its stead.
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