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
The human form was frequently indicated in stone by the Indians. These
sculptures range from very crude delineations, which I have not shown,
to the first steps in more ambitious work, such as is exhibited in Fig.
422. This stone head was found near Elmira, New York, by Mr. Ward E.
Bryan. The original was seven or eight inches in length. It is cut out
of fine-grained sandstone. On the back are curious lines and dots as
shown in the figure. The face shown is much cruder than that in Fig.
423. That face is of the peculiar type known as “Mound-Builder.” I have
referred to this resemblance elsewhere. Inspection of Fig. 499 in the
pipe series, found by Professor Mills at Adena, in the Scioto Valley,
Ohio, and of the idol, Fig. 426, and some of the effigy pottery, will
acquaint readers with this curious, strongly marked, Mound-Builder type
of feature. Other examples are to be seen in books treating of American
archæology.
[Illustration:
FIG. 424. (S. 1–4.) An idol and three flutes. B. H. Young’s
collection.
The long flute at the top is made of slate. The head is an imitation
of a serpent’s head. It has five holes regularly spaced. It is
evident that a small block of wood was placed in the mouth to lessen
the wind space.
The central one is of stone, open at both ends, with four holes.
The smallest one, of bone, is open at both ends.
On each of these instruments from seven to nine different sounds can
be made.
The idol was found in Tennessee, near the Kentucky line. It is made of
dark steatite, and is unique in representing the full human form.
]
The idol presented in Fig. 426 is a remarkable effigy. Not a few of
these have been found near the Etowah Group of mounds in Georgia. All
such idols have either been found in graves or on the sites of Southern
villages, where population was considerable. I never knew of them being
found in a mound, although there may have been such discoveries.
[Illustration:
FIG. 425. (S. 1–3.) B. H. Young’s collection. Wooden image found many
years ago in Bell County, Kentucky, near Middlesboro, in a cave by a
turkey-hunter. It is made of yellow pine, and is of form similar to
the stone effigies found in Kentucky. The ears are pierced for
ear-rings, and the wrists grooved for bracelets.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. 426. (S. about 1–6.) Found in 1886 near the Etowah Group of
mounds, Cartersville, Georgia. Material, steatite. Height, 21
inches. Weight, 56½ pounds.
]
CHAPTER XXVI
GROUND STONE
STONE PIPES
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