Object Record
Images
Metadata
Object ID # |
1959.019.007ab |
Object Name |
Sherd |
Title |
First Nations Pipe Sherds |
Lexicon category |
10: Unclassifiable Artifacts |
Date |
Pre-contact |
Made |
Unknown |
Place of Origin |
Ontario |
Description |
These are two First Nations-made clay smoking pipe sherds (shards), that are a light-brown in colour. The stem piece is about 5.5 cm long. It has a plain bit. Its shank has tiny, diagonal notches, and two grooves also decorate it. The bowl area is squarish at the top with slightly-impressed lines on each side. The corners each have a vertical notch decorating them. See RELATED for other archaeological items collected by Fred Birch. It is believed that such pipes were made by wrapping a bent twig with clay. During its firing, the wood would burn away, leaving a hollow pipestem inside the pipe. This pipe dates from the late period of Ontario Iroquoian artefacts (prior to European contact). |
Provenance |
Collected by Frederick Birch (b. 1840-d. 1923) who was an amateur archaeologist living in Wodehouse, Euphrasia Township, Grey County, at the time. He collected First Nations artifacts in Euphrasia and nearby townships. It is unknown what year he collected this artifact. Some of Birch's finds were noted in the ANNUAL ARCHAEOLOGICAL REPORT (1903), that was published in 1904. Mr. Birch was in Wodehouse at that time. Would this pipe be from the Neutral-Erie Iroquoian Culture? A similarly-shaped and decorated pipe is shown in J. V. Wright's book, ONTARIO PREHISTORY: AN ELEVEN-THOUSAND YEAR ARCHAEOLOGICAL OUTLINE, 1972, p. 85 (see diagram 1 chronology chart as well). Archaeologist Dr. Peter Storck had a look at it in 2003 and said that it would be from the later period of the Ontario Iroquoians (prior to European contact). |
Collection |
First Nations, Archaeological Collection |
Material |
Clay |
Found |
Grey County, Ontario |
People |
Birch, Frederick |
Subjects |
First Nations of Central Canada Tobacco Tobacco pipes Smoking Archaeology |
Search Terms |
Euphrasia Township Wodehouse |
Function |
Remnants of a broken smoking pipe |