The exchange of some Oneota red pipestone artifacts commonly, but sometimes incorrectly, identified as manufactured from catlinite from southwest Minnesota, likely created fictive kinship alliances between unrelated groups from ca. A.D. 1450 into the early 1700s. Researchers have determined, however, that red pipestone raw material occurs across a wide area within the United States and Canada. Determining the provenance of this red pipestone raw material is thus critical to understanding Oneota trade and alliance building. Using Portable Infrared Mineral Analyzer (PIMA) technology to identify the raw material sources of 84 red pipestone artifacts from seven Oneota villages in the Little Sioux valley of northwest Iowa, we demonstrate that while the local inhabitants had access to the catlinite quarries, they also used a wide range of pipestones from other sources. The possible implications of these multiple source areas are also discussed.
The Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology, first published in 1976, is the official publication of the Midwest Archaeological Conference, Inc. The journal publishes original papers on the archaeology of the region between the Appalachian Mountains and the Great Plains, and from the Boreal Forests to the mid-South, or closely related topical issues. While the journal focuses on the publication of new and primary prehistoric and historic period archaeological data from this heartland region of the United States and Canada, it also regularly publishes on broader theoretical and methodological issues relevant to an understanding of the archaeology of the midcontinent. Papers are analytic, often incorporate cutting edge field and laboratory methods, applied in clear theoretical, problem oriented contexts. Most journal volumes consist of stand-alone articles, but the MCJA occasionally publishes volumes of papers that address specific themes, sites, or topics.
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Midcontinental Journal of Archaeology
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