Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID # |
1959.019.006 |
Object Name |
Gorget |
Title |
Remnant of a Slate Gorget |
Lexicon category |
3: Personal Artifacts |
Date |
Pre-contact |
Made |
Unknown First Nations stoneworker |
Place of Origin |
Ontario |
Description |
Remnant of a stone age slate gorget (First Nations artifact). This item is only partial. A display drawing mount has been provided to suggest what it would look like in entirety. It is a smoothly-ground stone item. It might be called banded slate by collectors. The hole would have been drilled by hand. Originally, the item would have had two holes. The slate is now faded. - - |
Provenance |
Collected by Frederick Birch (b. 1840-d. 1923), who was an amateur archaeologist living at Wodehouse, Euphrasia Township, Grey County, at the time. He collected First Nations artifacts in Euphrasia and nearby townships. This particular piece was found at Lot 7, Concession 7, in Euphrasia Township. It was not recorded what year Mr. Birch discovered it. Some of Birch's finds were noted in the ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT (1903), that was published in 1904. Mr. Birch was living at Wodehouse, Euphrasia Township, at that time. Two-hole gorgets have been found in Ohio and Missouri and Kentucky. Late Archaic to the Late Woodland periods approximately 4,500 to 1,500 years ago? Is this piece from the same period? |
Collection |
First Nations, Archaeological Collection |
Material |
Slate/Stone |
Dimensions |
H-0.8 W-5 L-4.2 cm |
Found |
Euphrasia Township (formerly), Municipality of Grey Highlands, Grey County |
People |
Birch, Frederick Bowes, Frank |
Subjects |
Euphrasia Township Archaeology Necklaces Fighting Stone carving |
Search Terms |
Euphrasia Township |
Function |
A gorget was an item worn at the front of a warrior's neck, to help protect that area from being wounded. Archaeologists have found some gorgets in gravesites, and alternate theories of their usuage suggest they might have had a talisman or atatl weight function? |