The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
History
The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2
Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
Indians of North America -- Antiquities; Stone age -- North America
Stone discs. Circular stone plates or discs are not of frequent
occurrence in this region; yet quite a number have been found. Like the
beetles and hammers, they are generally turned up by the farmer’s plough
in the cultivation of his farm. These discs are made of fine-grained
sandstone and gneissoid rocks, and a few have been found bearing
carvings upon them. In a measure these Manitoba discs remind one of the
interesting stone discs and plates of Alabama described by Mr. Clarence
B. Moore, but they are usually of a simpler type than those of the
South.
Stone spade or shovel. In a mound in 1907 the writer found a stone
implement which strongly resembles the modern shovel in form and size.
Stone axes. Only a few axes are known here, and they have prominent
ridges bounding the central encircling groove.
Arrow-heads of quartzite and flint are tolerably numerous. Very few
examples have been taken from the earthworks, nearly all having been
discovered by digging or ploughing the soil. Most of the latter are
rudely finished, while those discovered in the older mounds usually
exhibit superior workmanship.
One specimen of blade or unbarbed arrow-head in the possession of the
writer has a well-marked patina over its entire surface. It is about
three inches in length, and an inch and three quarters wide at its base.
Its material is translucent flint or agate. The patination of this flint
artifact must have required a long period of time, perhaps one thousand
years or more. It was ploughed out of the prairie at a depth of five or
six inches.
A few flint scrapers have been collected.
Pipes of stone. These are straight tubular bowls made of catlinite or
red “pipestone” from Minnesota, beautifully formed and polished. They
have been found only in the burial-mounds, and they do not at all
resemble the modern Indian pipes.
Objects made from bone. These are not numerous in this district. They
consist chiefly of bone skewers and awls, whistles made from the ulna of
the wing of the eagle or other large bird of flight (see Fig. 528), bone
armlets and beads. The armlets have holes by which they were evidently
laced or fastened upon the arms, and they are usually decorated by
grooves and notches. They are made from broad, flat bones, generally the
scapulæ of the larger animals. A bone blade or knife is sometimes found.
A comb-like hide-dressing bone tool, an arrow-nock, and primitive bone
beads have been recently taken from mounds by the writer. Only a very
few simple ornaments of deer antler have been found.
Shell objects. There is a variety of articles here made from sea-shells
and river-shells. A large spoon is made from one of the valves of the
shell of the fresh-water mollusc Unio. But the majority are ornaments,
and are made out of univalve shells from the ocean. Oblong, flat
pendants, large circular rings, oval, circular, and tubular beads of
shell occur.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account