Spiro, Le Flore County, Oklahoma, United States, North America
Accession Date:
30 Dec 1966
Notes:
Style: Type 1 - Craig B Element: 2 Fragments of same gorget Alteration: Reuse Manufacturing Notes: Complicated fenestration. MADE ON INNER FACE OF PREVIOUSLY DECOR SHELL (See A448761-2) Design: 2 people facing ea other (w/other frags not in NMNH) Surface Modification: Incised Symbols: Raccoon staff, concentric arcs on arm. Gridwork, concentric circles, complex belt. Residue: Lampblack. Comments: Had been designated A by Joan Gardner (conservator). Includes A448754, which is part of the same gorget (see Phillips & Brown, Pre-Columbian Shell Engravings from Craig Mound at Spiro, Oklahoma, P. 128). Card stated they were kept together, but I did not find them so. I did put them together. The raccoon is great - held around the throat at the staff.
Style: Braden A Raw Material 2: Busycon Element: Body fragments Alteration: Reuse Manufacturing Notes: Not very well executed. Surface Modification: Incised, excised Symbols: Akron grid, hatching, possible snake form. Residue: Lamp black. Use Trace: Reused for gorget in Craig A style. Comments: Includes A448754. Same dimensions as A448761-0. See Phillips & Brown (Pre-Columbian Shell Engravings from Craig Mound at Spiro, Oklahoma) 1983, Pl. 128.
Part One: Style: Type 3 - Craig A Element: Top and right side Alteration: Reuse Manufacturing Notes: Large central hole is surrounded by 8 little holes. Phillips and Brown suggest that these were for lashing on a plug to repair a broken cup. 2 larger holes as for wearing are on the side, not the top. Has an interesting use history in that it was incised on one side, maybe broken and re-used and finally reused as a gorget perhaps more than once. Design: Center circle of shell removed for gorget Surface Modification: Incised Symbols: Concentric half-circles, concentric rings, forked eye. Residue: Brown patina inner. Use Trace: Breakage and reuse. Comments: 2 refitted (glued) frags. Some sort of bird motif. See A448761-4 for other side. Fenestrated but unclear that it was ever really round.
Part Two: Object Name: Cup Style: Craig A Raw Material 2: Busycon sinistrum Element: Shoulder and body fragment Alteration: Weathered, reuse Manufacturing Notes: Lines are worn. Surface Modification: Incised Symbols: Petaloid design. Residue: Brown patchy. Use Trace: Possibly repaired, see previous record.
