Copper Objects 



121 



In e a small piece of carbonized twine still protrudes from the upper 

 perforation. About two hundred of these buttons and cones were found, 

 one or two of which were of metoric iron. Plate LVI, Nos. 1-6, shows 

 two disks of thin copper, two quadrangular, and two spoon-shaped, 

 copper objects. There were originally handles to the two spoon-like 

 specimens, but these have been broken off. The copper disks, if found 

 under other conditions, would probably be considered European, as 

 they are of the same form as a modern washer. The two quadrangular 

 perforated objects have two minute perforations in the smaller end, as 

 if intended for suspension. 



Fig. i 6. 

 Buttons of Clay and Wood Covered with Copper. 



Spool-shaped ear-ornaments of copper are common in the Ohio 

 mounds, and I have estimated that there must have been originally 

 four thousand of these objects deposited in the Hopewell group. The 

 greater number of these were of the simple type shown in Plate LVI, 

 Nos. 7-10. Squier and Davis do not report the position of the copper 

 spools found by them in relation to skeletons. Putnam was the first 

 to identify them as ear-ornaments, as he found many of them in pairs, 

 one on either side of the skull. They have also been found upon the 

 hands or wrists. The diameter of these ornaments varies from about 

 3 to 6 cm with 4 cm as an average. A few specimens were covered 

 with silver or meteoric iron, but these were quite rare. One or two of 

 this sort were reported by Putnam from the Turner group. 



The late Frank Hamilton Gushing experimented with reference to 

 the manufacture of these objects, but students of archaeology are 

 especially indebted to Willoughby for his additional and more com- 

 plete observations. With suitable stones and one or two bones of firm 

 texture, obtained on the sea-shore, he fashioned an ear-ornament equal 

 to those produced by the Hopewell people. The copper used was a free 

 nugget, which he secured from a copper mine. He took as a pattern one 



