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
“Fig. 447, found at Baldwin’s Mills, Waupaca County, the largest handled
disc pipe so far found in Wisconsin, is of beautiful dark red catlinite
with pink flecks. Its bowl is five inches long, terminating in a handle
shaped like the blade of a hatchet, with what would be the cutting edge
ornamented with three notches. The disc is 3½ inches wide and so thin
that the distance through from the face of the disk to the outer side of
the bowl is but three fourths of an inch. The stem hole has the
characteristic curve and its interior is nicely polished. Both stem and
bowl holes appear to have been started with a stone drill and enlarged
with a wooden drill used in conjunction with sand. Under a glass this
specimen shows innumerable scratches, but none of these appear to have
been made by the use of metal tools. The same can be said of eleven
handled disc pipes in the author’s collection.” Mr. West has a record of
one hundred and four disc pipes found in Wisconsin.
[Illustration:
FIG. 462. (S. 1–1.) Rear view of Fig. 461.
]
The fact that these disc pipes are frequently made of catlinite leads me
to believe that they are not as old as other forms; yet there seems to
be no evidence of their use after the advent of white man.
The pipe with the curved base and monitor pipes are closely related.
These are found throughout the entire Mississippi Valley, and are
especially numerous in Illinois, to West Virginia and from southern
Wisconsin to southern Tennessee. Many beautiful specimens have been
taken from mounds and graves, particularly from the mounds. In Figs.
449–53, I show five of these. Perhaps the most beautiful ones have been
found in the mounds of the Scioto Valley, Ohio.
[Illustration:
FIG. 463. (S. 1–3.) Group of pipes from various localities in the
Mississippi Valley.
(a) Scioto County, Ohio.
(b) Ross County, Ohio.
(c) Pipe made from a whale’s tooth, Alaska.
(d) Scioto County, Ohio.
(e) Miami County, Ohio.
(f) Scioto County, Ohio.
(g) Scioto County, Ohio.
(h) Wabash Cemetery, Indiana.
(i) Hancock County, Ohio.
(j) Silver Creek, Morgantown, North Carolina.
(k) Grovetown, Georgia.
]
Just how this peculiar form originated, no man may know. It was the
favorite among the prehistoric peoples. A few examples found in use
among historic tribes are very poor imitations of the old forms, and
cannot compare in workmanship and beauty of finish with such as are
removed from the mounds of the Middle West and the South.
[Illustration:
FIG. 464. Three pipe-bowls. Collection of Henry Montgomery, Toronto,
Ontario.
Left. Pipe-bowl made of sandstone. From near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Length, 2¾ inches.
Centre. Pipe-bowl made of limestone. From Markham, Ontario. Length, 3
inches.
Right. Pipe-bowl made of white quartzite. Found by Henry Montgomery in
Simcoe County, Ontario. About one third actual size.
]
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