SOAPSTONE — BUSHNELL 487 



the stone was used in the North long before it was quarried in the 

 South. Consequently, some of the utensils found in New England 

 may be much older than similar pieces discovered in the valley of 

 the Savannah, but it is not possible at this time to even approximate 

 the age of the material. 



The quarries which have been discovered throughout the region 

 where the stone occurs are similar to those which have been de- 

 scribed in the Piedmont Plateau of Virginia and in the District of 

 Columbia, differing only in extent and the composition of the stone. 

 The quarries, so widely distributed, were obviously the work of many 

 different tribes, but the descriptions of the Virginia and District of 

 Columbia quarries are applicable to all — which indicates that a cus- 

 tom, or practice, developed by one group would in time be transmitted 

 to others, often far distant and unrelated. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATES 



Plate 1 



Work at an ancient soapstone quarry as suggested by discoveries made at the 

 quarry near Clifton, Fairfax County, Va. Tliree phases of the work carried on 

 at the quarry are shown in the group: Shaping the stone before removal from 

 the mass, taking the block from the quarry, and beginning the process of hol- 

 lowing the block to form the vessel. Painted by E. G. Cassedy, of the Bureau 

 of American Ethnology. 



Plate 2 



Unfinished vessels from the Bedford County quarry, Va. 



1. a, Block of stone as removed from the quarry. The flat top surface had been 



detached from the mass. Size 11% by 7% inches, depth 5% inches. U. S. 

 N. M. No. 379258. &, A block similar to a but having a slight concavity, the 

 beginning of the hollowing. Size 12 by 7% inches, deptli 4^,^ inches. U. S. 

 N. M. No. 379259. 



2. Parts of two vessels broken while being hollowed, both designed to have flat 



bottoms, c. Length 151/2 inches. U. S. N. M. No. 379260. d. Depth 41/2 

 inches. U. S. N. M. No. 379261. A sketch of this vessel as restored is 

 shown in text figure 2. 



3. Fragments of two partly finished vessels intended to have rounded bottoms. 



e, Depth 5% inches. U. S. N. M. No. 379262. /, Width 12 inches, height at 

 handle 51/2 inches. U. S. N. M. no. 379263. 



Plate 3 



Ancient soapstone quarries in Virginia. 



1. A view of the ancient soapstone quarry southeast of Bedford, Bedford County, 



Va. It is on a ridge between Little Otter River and Big Otter River, near 

 the junction of the streams. Photograph by R. L. Updike. 



2. One of the large pits or excavations, now filled with mold, at the ancient 



quarry south of Damon, Albemarle County, Va. 



3. Another pit at the quarry near Damon, with pieces of soapstone scattered 



over the surface. 



