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
At the right, in row I, are the slightly curved crescents or pick-like
forms. More pronounced curves in these, as shown in row J, enable one to
make a series ending in the L-shaped forms. In row K, the oval slate
pebble is drilled through its long diameter, or through the short
diameter, according to the fancy of the native, and the grain or strata
of the stone. Some of the specimens exhibit slightly flaring sides and
these become more pronounced until the “butterfly” form of problematical
stones is apparent. The eighth specimen from the left toward the right
in row K indicates how this stone may take another form. Row M to the
left indicates small pendants, probably used for nose, rings, and
ear-rings. These are not very common. M, to the right, is the series
beginning with two forms of ridged unperforated gorgets which are
coffin-shaped, and ending in the ridged gorget, opposite which (to the
right) are drawn two arrows. On the right of the plate, in row N, is the
ridged gorget terminating in the boat-shaped object; and below, the
ridged form ending in two objects having elevated, horn-like
protuberances in the centre. Row O, to the left, is the ordinary oval,
not flat but thick and round, which may be slightly grooved at one end.
This series progresses through forms with wide shoulders and narrow
necks and long, pointed bodies. Of the purpose of these we possess no
knowledge. Numbers of them are found in the United States; but none of
the specimens shown at the right in row O (left side of sheet) have to
my knowledge been found in mounds or graves.
[Illustration:
FIG. 305. (S. 1–5.) A good series of the flat, rectangular gorgets
(also a few ovate ones) of all kinds. The three central objects and
the lower central one do not belong in this classification. Students
should examine all these twenty-seven objects carefully. Materials:
slate, granite, sandstone, diorite. Collection of J. A. Rayner,
Piqua, Ohio.
]
The materials out of which these two hundred and twenty-one specimens
are made are various shales, granite, sandstone, banded slate, mica
schist, and porphyry.
The arranging of all these types is not arbitrary. Another observer
might group them in a different manner. I do not maintain that they
should be grouped this way. But we have so many of them in our American
museums that an attempt at grouping and classifying them should be made.
About twelve years ago, just before Mr. Peabody endowed the Department
of Archæology at Phillips Academy, I began the study of the
problematical or unknown forms. I found that these objects were
mentioned more or less briefly in nearly a hundred reports, books, and
scientific papers. In the “Handbook of American Indians,” they are
discussed under various heads and small illustrations are presented.
[Illustration:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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