ARCHEOLOQICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN MISSOURI 61 



or scoria. This, of course, does not occur geologically in situ within 

 many hundreds of miles of the Renner site, and the fragments found 

 in all likelihood were gathered by the natives as flotage along the 

 Missouri during or after the spring floods (cf. Wied, 1843, p. 125). 

 The largest of our specimens measures about 9.5 cm. in greatest dimen- 

 sion. The material varies from red to blue-gray in color. Evidences 

 of wear are usually limited to flattened areas of varying size; there 

 are no grooves such as would result from the grinding of bone awls, 

 wooden arrowshafts, or similar materials. In view of the relative 

 softness of pumice, and from the nature of such wear facets as are 

 manifested, it would seem that the stone may have served other ends. 

 There is historic evidence that the Omaha and other tribes along the 

 Missouri used pumice to rub down animal hides (Wied, 1843, p. 125 ; 

 James, 1823, vol. 1, p. 221), and it is possible that earlier peoples in 

 the area did likewise. The finding of unworked lumps that still 

 retain their smooth outer surface may be due to the fact that these 

 particular pieces had simply never been used, or else, conceivably, to 

 the fact that the material was new and mysterious and something 

 to be wondered at as a stone that floats on water. 



PIGMENT MATERIALS 



A number of worked lumps of hematite and limonite were found. 

 Almost without exception these have one or more flat surfaces with 

 fine striae from grinding, but none are shaped into recognizable tools 

 or ornaments. Rubbed, they produce a streak or stain varying from 

 bright red to a dull yellowish brown. Undoubtedly they represent a 

 source of pigments, from which suitable paints could be made by 

 mixing with animal fat. In what manner the resultant paint was 

 utilized, whether for the face and body, for clothing and articles of 

 dressed skin, or other uses, is not known. 



In addition to the more or less pure hematite and limonite, there 

 were several lumps of softer gritty material at first thought to be 

 remains of prepared cakes of paint. Closer scrutiny by competent 

 mineralogists leads to the conclusion that, in reality, these include 

 pieces of impure fine-grained ferruginous sandstone and, in other 

 instances, residual clay from the weathering of certain limestones. 

 It may be observed that the latter, where containing a considerable 

 proportion of iron, sometimes produces a red powder quite the equal 

 in intensity of color to some of the poorer grades of hematite. None 

 of the samples found shows grinding facets, which may be due either 

 to the softness and rapidity of disintegration of the material or else 

 to the fact that it was not regularly utilized by the natives. 



