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An Eastern Perspective on Archaic Soapstone Bowls and
Quarries from Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas
This book is a recording of some of the soapstone quarries used
by the American Indian in the states of Virginia, North Carolina,
South Carolina, and Georgia, along with their bowls and other
implements made of soapstone. The information contain in
this book was taken from past publications on site reports,
books, archaeological journals and manuscripts, interviews
with collectors, landowners, and archaeologists, along with
many hours of field investigations. The report of the Pacolet
River Quarries in South Carolina in this book is the most
comprehensive due to the fact that the author has been doing
investigations there for over thirty years.
Within the book are recordings of some of the finest and rarest
soapstone bowls and other soapstone artifacts ever found in
the Southeastern United States. Included are also those finished,
unfinished, and bowl preforms with descriptions, size, location,
and lithic information for references.
This book is a recording of some of the soapstone quarries
used by the American Indian in the states of Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, along with their bowls
and other implements made of soapstone. The information contain
in this book was taken from past publications on site reports,
books, archaeological journals and manuscripts, interviews
with collectors, landowners, and archaeologists, along with
many hours of field investigations. The report of the Pacolet
River Quarries in South Carolina in this book is the most
comprehensive due to the fact that the author has been doing investigations
there for over thirty years.
$30.00
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Within the book are recordings of some of the finest and rarest
soapstone bowls and other soapstone artifacts ever found in the
Southeastern United States. Included are also those finished, unfinished,
and bowl preforms with descriptions, size, location, and lithic
information for references.
Soapstone quarries and bowls date from the middle Archaic Period
and very early Woodland Period, which puts these Indians in the
categorical group of Hunters and Gathers. Their sites vary in function
from large base settlements to transient hunting or camping sites.
Many of these sites are hundreds of miles from the soapstone quarries,
and provided the Indians a real challenge of transporting the soapstone
bowls. Discussed is the theory of transporting these heavy bowls,
along with C-14 dates, and other value information.
This book contains lots of pictures of quarries, bowls, and ornaments
made of soapstone (gorgets, bannerstones, pipes, etc).
- 176 pages
- Softbound
- 8 ½ x 11
- Plenty of pictures
- 22 pages in color
- 3 tables
- 5 maps
- C-14 dates
- Large reference
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An Eastern Perspective on Archaic Soapstone Bowls and Quarries
from Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas
Restored soapstone bowl, 11 ¾" long, 5 ½" wide
and 5" high. Found by James G. Pritchard at the Quail Springs
Site, Princess Ann County, Virginia in the spring of 1961. Bowl
was plowed up and was positioned upside down. There are 2 repair
holes in the upper side of the bowl. Walls are thin, about 1/4".
Bowl is oval with a flat bottom. It should be mentioned that Morrow
Mountain Projectile Points are also found in the plow field. James
G. Pritchard collection.
$30.00
- 176 pages
- Softbound
- 8 ½ x 11
- Plenty of pictures
- 22 pages in color
- 3 tables
- 5 maps
- C-14 dates
- Large reference
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Restored Soapstone bowl, Found in 1955 by Joe
Marsh and Floyd Painter at the intersection of Arazona and Witchduck
Road, Virginia Beach,
Virginia at a road cut. Restored by Floyd Painter. Bowl is made
from a dense gray soapstone and is oval in shape with a flat bottom.
13" long,
9 ¼" wide and 6" high. James G. Pritchard collection. |
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| This is the ONLY book of its kind available and is limited to only
300 copies. |
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| An Eastern Perspective on Archaic Soapstone Bowls and Quarries
from Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas by Rodney M. Peck may be
ordered from the author. |
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Repair Holes
The use of repair holes may be found mostly in the Round and Oval
type of soapstone bowls, usually those with thin walls. When a
soapstone bowl developed cracks of breaks from use, the Indians
would drill holes on each side of the crack and then secure the
broken piece with a cord made from a vine, sinew, raw hide or something
similar. These repair holes were used to extend the life and use
of the bowls for they were highly valuable to the Indians, and
replacement bowls were very difficult to obtain, especially when
the quarries were hundreds of miles from their village.
Close view of "Repair Holes" with cord groove on rim
of soapstone bowl, from Ashe County, North Carolina. Indians "repaired" the
broken rim by drilling holes and reattaching the broken fragment
with wet sinew or leather cordage and sealed the cracks with pitch
or asphaltum. When the cordage dried it shrank and tightened providing
a secure repair. The bowl is of an irregular oval shape and measures
12" long at the lugs, 9 ¾" wide, 6 ½" high
and weighs only 8 ½ pounds. The relative lightweight is
attributed to the thinness of the bowl. Photo by and in collection
of Ron L. Harris, Taylorsville, N.C
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