Perplexing Pipestone

    Leveling a unit can prove a challenge, especially after a long day of shovel skimming and troweling in the summer heat. At the end of the day, I decided to take a few centimeters off of the northeast corner near the balk in order to get an even 20 centimeters below datum all around. Suddenly, a bright red object appeared starkly against the dark brown soil of the plow zone (right). At first glance, we identified the object as a catlinite adornment artifact. Catlinite is a soft, red clay stone that is easily worked. In the photograph below, you can see how this item was drilled down the center so that it could be strung and worn. Catlinite is generally used by Native Americans to make pipes or ornaments and is a culturally significant stone. What could this mean for Fort St. Joseph?  

   Further research proved to be quite interesting. After reading many articles, we found out that catlinite is actually a misnomer for any red workable stone used by the Native Americans. This means that there are other stones that look similar and act similar, but are actually a different stone altogether. Pipestone is the proper term to call these artifacts since it is impossible to differentiate the mineral composition by sight. Even more surprising, catlinite can only be found in Minnesota, whereas pipestone deposits are found in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota is well known for being the source of many catlinite artifacts such as ceremonial pipes, pendants, and other types of ornamentation. This means that the artifact I found came from out of state, and had to have been traded to end up at Fort St. Joseph. If we were able to test the mineral composition of the artifact I found, that would allow us to locate exactly where the stone was mined from. In this case, I am personally not exactly sure in which state it originates, but it is a very interesting find nonetheless.

    Over 300,000 artifacts have been recovered from Fort St. Joseph since 2002. Out of hundreds of thousands of artifacts, less than 30 examples of pipestone pieces have been recovered. What this means for the fort, I can only imagine. Perhaps this piece was given as a gift to the people of the post by a Native American, or maybe they traded it for other goods. In my opinion, this artifact is a BIG deal. Since it is so rare and came from a distant state, it must have meant something grand to the people of the time. I can’t wait to see what other stories the artifacts of Fort St. Joseph will tell!

- Adyn

References

Archaeology, PA. “Red Plains Pipestone: Catlinite ?” Red Plains Pipestone: Catlinite?, 30 Dec. 2010, twipa.blogspot.com/2010/12/when-george-catlin-renowned-19th.html?m=1.  

Emerson, Thomas E., and Randall E. Hughes. “De-Mything the Cahokia Catlinite Trade.” Plains Anthropologist, vol. 46, no. 176, 2001, pp. 149–61, https://doi.org/10.1080/2052546.2001.11932066. Permalink: https://primo-pmtna01.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/9hbp01/TN_cdi_proquest_journals_214772428 

Wisseman, Sarah U., et al. “Refining the Identification of Native American Pipestone Quarries in the Midcontinental United States.” Journal of Archaeological Science, vol. 39, no. 7, 2012, pp. 2496–505, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2012.04.007. Permalink: https://primo-pmtna01.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/9hbp01/TN_cdi_crossref_primary_10_1016_j_jas_2012_04_007