Catlinite pipebowl

This pipebowl was found was found in Amherstburg, Ontario, along the Detroit River, on a site excavated by the University of Windsor in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and Ministry archaeologists in s, and archaeologists from the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries in 2004. This artifact comes from a site that includes the home of Matthew Elliott (1739-1814), where he operated a trading post as an Agent of the British Indian Department between the end of the 18th and early 19th century. The pipebowl is made of catlinite, a red rock (argillite) composed mainly of clay particles, also called pipestone or pipeclay. It is a material that can be easily carved, and is used for pipes, beads and ornaments. Catlinite quarries are found in Ontario and in the United States (in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Kansas, Ohio, Arizona and South Dakota). This style of pipe tends be found on sites dating to the 18th century.