Native Groups – Mississippian Tools

Mississippians were very resourceful, transforming stone, wood, and bone into a variety of tools. Often these materials were utilized in their natural form with little modification.

People have been mixing naturally occurring pigments, such as ochres and iron oxides, for thousands of years. The Mississippians were no different. A variety of pigments were used to create face and body paint, and to decorate other natural materials, such as buckskin, rawhide, bone, and wood.

Hoes

The Mississippian people used a variety of stones for making hoes. The two shown here are made from Mill Creek chert, a fine-grained sedimentary rock specific to Southern Illinois. They used Mill Creek chert for other tools too, as it is extremely tough.

Mussel shells were used by the Mississippian people to create a variety of tools, including hoes, scrapers, and spoons. Shells were also shaped into gorgets (armor-like coverings worn over the throat), beads, and pendants.

Small hoes were first created during the late Woodland period, roughly 1,400 years ago. Used for cultivating corn, the Mississippian people continued to make and use hoes.

Large hoes were created as early as 1,200 years ago, and used as recently as 500 years ago.

Hoe blade

Hoe blade made from a mussel shell. Found at the Noble-Wieting site.

Courtesy of: Illinois State Museum, Springfield

Mississippian hoe, circa 1200 CE

Mississippian hoe, circa 850 CE

722.244

Stone Axes

Native cultures have used stone axes for a wide variety of tasks, including harvesting timber; shaping, splitting, and cutting wood; preparing food; as weapons; and for ceremonial purposes.

Full groove ax, circa 6000 BCE

At first axes did not have handles. The first hafted (handled) axes appeared in the middle Archaic period between 6,000 and 10,000 years ago.

Donated by: John Grimes
722.365

Three-quarter groove ax, circa 6500 BCE

Three-quarter grooved axes were common throughout the middle and late Archaic period between 1,000 and 6,000 years ago.

Donated by: James Hinthorn
842.1110

Ax, circa 6000 BCE

Grainy brown-gray stone. Rectangular and somewhat flatter than other celts.

Non-grooved axes, called celts, were first used during the early Woodland period. Their use continued through the middle Mississippian period.

722.401

Grainy brown-gray stone. Rectangular and somewhat flatter than other celts.

Ax, circa 1150 CE

Dark gray stone, wider edge is ground to an edge, front is more polished than rounded back. 2.5 inches wide, 5.2 inches long

The Mississippian people modified the celt, making it perfectly rectangular with sharp, well-defined edges.

Donated by: Glenn Dodds
762.691

Dark gray stone, wider edge is ground to an edge, front is more polished than rounded back. 2.5 inches wide, 5.2 inches long
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