# Indian Pipestem



## rpinkham (Feb 5, 2012)

I spend a great deal of time poking around the creek gravel beds. Too much stuff goes in my pockets...anyone else suffer from this illness?


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## rpinkham (Feb 5, 2012)

This was the home of the Lenni-Lenapes long before William Penn came along. From time to time small relics turn up.


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## rpinkham (Feb 5, 2012)

Wonder if it was lost or broken? Pretty amazing that it survived the creek this long!


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## rpinkham (Feb 5, 2012)

Here are some more indian artifacts that have turned up through the years. Always exciting to find a new one!


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## rpinkham (Feb 5, 2012)

OOOPS...


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## rpinkham (Feb 5, 2012)

Anyway, thanks for looking! Gotta remember to bring the dang camera with me.


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## MIdigger (Feb 5, 2012)

If its an item that interests me I might bring it home, but glass shards I just leave as I accumulated to much "junk". The pipe stem might be of interest to a historical musem?. Ive never found any real old clay pipes.


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## madman (Feb 5, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  rpinkham
> 
> OOOPS...


nice finds!


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## RedGinger (Feb 5, 2012)

Fun stuff.  I can't resist bring those types of items home, either.  I haven't found too many Indian artifacts, but I'm always looking when I'm near a creek or gravel bed.  We have quite a few pieces in our driveway mixed in with the gravel that look like they were parts of arrowheads.  Maybe it's just the material?  I can't think of the name of it right now.


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## rpinkham (Feb 5, 2012)

Yeah, sadly i have drug home quite a pile of the more interesting shards. Someday i might need them! An archaeologist confirmed the smaller pipe stem. The one that popped up yesterday is of the same material. Spearpoints are few and far between...


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## surfaceone (Feb 5, 2012)

Hello ray,

 What makes you think it's an Indian Pipestem?





From.


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## rpinkham (Feb 5, 2012)

Thought it may have been a well rolled resistor from a 55 RCA. Just taking the archaeologists word for it. Something about the low fired local kaolin clay... Leastways, i would like it to be!


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## surfaceone (Feb 5, 2012)

> Just taking the archaeologists word for it. Something about the low fired local kaolin clay... Leastways, i would like it to be!


 
 Huh?


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## ironmountain (Feb 6, 2012)

nice haul!   the front pottery piece with the med-light blue coloring looks like a piece of Delftware.  

 My kids hoard stuff like that more than I do. If it's something really awesome or interesting, I'll snag it. My kids, on the other hand, fill their pockets with cool looking rocks and then my pockets get filled.  Then we end up with 8 pockets full of sand/rocks.


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## rpinkham (Feb 6, 2012)

This is the result of a form of "pocket mining" where the source of a streamside dump can be located by following the shards up tributaries. Yeah, i'm still a rather old kid.

 Mr. Surface, I agree that it appears like it could be a later artifact, but i am willing to believe the professional who was so kind as to take a look at these rather minor treasures. Could well be that i am too much of a dreamer. Thank you for the input!


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## surfaceone (Feb 6, 2012)

> ORIGINAL:  rpinkham
> 
> Mr. Surface, I agree that it appears like it could be a later artifact, but i am willing to believe the professional who was so kind as to take a look at these rather minor treasures. Could well be that i am too much of a dreamer. Thank you for the input!


 
 Hello Mr. Pinkham,

 What are the pipes that you are showing us all about? I'm generally willing to believe "the professional" too, when the professional can supply some cogent information.

 You've found random shards and artifacts scattered along a creek bed. Some of it is 19th Century glass, and pottery of what looks to be European manufacture. Some much older points and fragments were also found. Included amongst your finds is a Kaolin pipe stem that appears to have been nicely tumbled in the creek. It looks, to my eyes, much like a piece of the stem of a "tavern" pipe.

 I'm trying to understand how and why "the professional" points to it being tribal. I'm not trying to deny, or belittle, but to understand...

 "In Virginia the Pamplin Pipe Factory - Located in Pamplin City, Appomattox County, VA is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  Its history dates back to the Appomatucks Indians and their cottage industry of clay pipes. The first major industry in Appomattox was the Pamplin Smoking Pipe Manufacturing Company. Established in 1878, this factory manufactured clay pipes for over 70 years before closing in 1951. The existing Pamplin Pipe Factory was built in 1880. It houses the original clay kiln which once produced one million clay pipes per month." From.

 The white men have learned much from our Native American elders, including on occasion, where to find that nice Kaolin clay. So please explain to me, if you will, why "the professional" is pointing where he does.


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## rpinkham (Feb 6, 2012)

It would be nice to know for sure of course. The Lenni Lenape were here for thousands of years before we came along. http://new.whiteclay.org/watershed/history The points, graver and thumb scraper were found in the same general location as the glass. Incidentally, it took 20 yrs to find the points, and 1/2 hr to pick up the glass.

 Not so long ago a PDT (Pennsylvania dept of transportation) contracted archaeologist excavated  a test area before a bridge was replaced. As a public service, locals were encouraged to visit the site for a sort of show and tell. She was interested mostly in the very dark point and explained it was probably over 6000 years old! The rest not so old.  As far as the pipe stem, all i remember was she believed it to be native american due to local look of,  the impure nature and the apparent low firing temperature of the clay. I took the information at face value. The stem found Saturday seems identical in nature.

 Was she a professional? No doubt.
 Was she incorrect? Possibly
 Was she humoring a local? Possible too.

 If the opportunity ever arises, i agree a double check would be great.

 I am willing to defer to your expertise and regret using the word "Indian" in the title of this post if there is any doubt about the authenticity of the artifact. 

 I did go back looking for that elusive dump today and found evidence of early Lenni Lenape dairy industry.. Ray


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## surfaceone (Feb 6, 2012)

> I am willing to defer to your expertise and regret using the word "Indian" in the title of this post if there is any doubt about the authenticity of the artifact.
> 
> I did go back looking for that elusive dump today and found evidence of early Lenni Lenape dairy industry.. Ray


 
 Hey Ray,

 Good one on the Dairy industry. [8D] No particular expertise, here, though I do love finding pipe parts, and have been fortunate to find quite a few. Never have I found pipe parts in the vicinity of Indian artifacts, alas.

 I don't know to what degree the contract archie referred when she said, "apparent low firing temperature of the clay." The clay pipes that I have found were all of a bisque type, rather than vitrified.

 I'm not too up on proper clay pipe firing temperatures, but this contemporary pipe maker from New Zealand pegs it "900c - 960C is the traditional firing temperature for pipes." From.


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## JOETHECROW (Feb 6, 2012)

Rpinkham and Surf....Pipes are cool. I wanted to show this one, since it looks like the gray pipe Surf posted is also a snake....theme? Fred and I dug a 5 foot test hole on a "maybe" probing, in a yard with trash pits and one confirmed privy summer before last. There was no debris nor shards and not much soil changing color, but this snake pipe was at the bottom, just before hard gravel.


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## rpinkham (Feb 6, 2012)

Thank you for all the info Mr Surface. Interesting read.

 As an aside, A good friend who teaches art keeps some displays at her school. Recently she raided the shard bucket and along with a few intact examples and photos, put up a small glass history of sorts for the young kids. She has reported the display as being one of the most popular ever! Many of the youngsters want to get out and scrounge around.

 Glad the broken bits had some use after all. Keep a few little tykes off the gizmos you know?


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## JOETHECROW (Feb 6, 2012)

[8|]


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## rpinkham (Feb 7, 2012)

Rpinkham and Surf....Pipes are cool. I wanted to show this one, since it looks like the gray pipe Surf posted is also a snake....theme? Fred and I dug a 5 foot test hole on a "maybe" probing, in a yard with trash pits and one confirmed privy summer before last. There was no debris nor shards and not much soil changing color, but this snake pipe was at the bottom, just before hard gravel. 

 Hi Joe, All of those pipes privy finds? And was wondering if the snake pipe is wood...kinda looks like it in the photo. I've only recently had the opportunity to help with a few privies and have been amazed at how well preserved many of the items are!


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## JOETHECROW (Feb 8, 2012)

Ray....some were privy finds,...some were dump dug...We're relatively "new" to privy digging too (last couple of years) ...I looked at the pipe and I believe it too is clay but with that really cool patina burned into it....


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