Research Training Program

Jayme Job
Minnesota State University, Moorhead
Moorhead, Minnesota

Eric Hollinger, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientist
Department of Anthropology

"I feel deeply honored to have been
a part of something as amazing as
the Research Training Program; the
perspectives that I have gained over
the last ten weeks will undoubtedly
have an immense impact on the rest
of my life."

Perfecting Perceptions of Prehistoric Pipestone

For thousands of years, prehistoric Native Americans used a variety of materials to carve pipes and other cultural objects. One type of pipestone that they employed was catlinite, an extremely soft, red stone from the southwestern corner of Minnesota. Several specimens in the museum's archaeological and ethnological collections are currently classified as catlinite, but this designation has been made on physical appearance of the stone alone, and is often erroneous. New technologies, including non-destructive reflectance spectroscopy, are making accurate identification of different raw materials possible by determining the mineralogical composition of an artifact. This research employed an ASD Terraspec Reflectance Spectrometer to distinguish objects made of catlinite from those objects made of mimic materials. By comparing the location where the artifacts were found (archaeological provenience) with the location of the pipestone quarry (geological provenance), it was possible to uncover prehistoric trade routes employed by Native Americans. Since many archaeological sites are associated with known time periods of occupation, it was also possible to view these trade routes through time. These trade routes imply prehistoric cultural contact between different groups. Evidence of cultural contact is extremely valuable to the archaeologist, who must attempt a reconstruction of the past without the aid of historical records.

This research was supported by a grant from the Smithsonian Women's Committee Endowment.

Letter of gratitude