Pipestone’s True Grit: Observations from Experimental Pipe-Making

Abstract

Experimental archaeology is a productive way to understand pipes as one part of a technological system. In this study, a comparative set of pipe-making tools was made to aid in the identification of such tools in archaeological assemblages from the Great Plains. In order to replicate pipe manufacturing processes, stone tools were flintknapped out of Florence chert, heat-treated Florence chert, Smoky Hill jasper, Peoria chert, and Alibates agatized dolomite. These tools were used to scrape, cut, gouge, ream, and drill two types of pipestone (Kansas pipestone and Minnesota pipestone) and a hematite nodule. The process of working stone tools on pipestone led to three important observations. First, these actions created diagnostic use-wear and residue that were identifiable at low-power magnification (<100×). Second, there were observable differences in the Kansas pipestone, Minnesota pipestone, and hematite. The texture of the Kansas pipestone was grittier than the Minnesota pipestone and this resulted in a grainier powder and more microscopic striations on the tools. Additionally, pipestone and hematite residues were distinguishable at a microscopic level based on differences in color and texture. Third, pipestone powder was the major by-product of pipe manufacturing activities and is thus important to look for in the archaeological record. Orienting pipe manufacture within a larger framework of technological organization provides a better foundation for interpreting their position within past societies.