392 



DISHES 



[b. a. ; 



and degrees of finish. Many retain their 

 natural surface on both sides with the 

 edge worked off by grinding or pecking, 

 the latter marks jiossibly resulting from 

 use as hammers. The sides may be 

 ground down while the edge remains un- 

 touched; or, when made from a thick 

 pebble, the sides may be pecked and the 

 edge ground. Some specimens which are 

 entirely unvvorked require very close ex- 

 amination to distinguish them from oth- 

 ers whose whole surface has been artifi- 

 cially jiroduced. It is possible, however, 

 to arrange a large number of specimens 

 from one locality in a regular series from 

 a roughly chipped disk to a finished 

 product of the highest polish and sym- 

 metry. The finest specimens, in greatest 

 numbers, come from the states s. of the 

 Ohio r., and from Arkansas eastward to 

 the Atlantic. The territory within a 

 radius of 100 m. around Chattanooga, 

 Tenn., and for about the same distance 

 around Memphis, is especially rich in 

 them. From s. e. Ohio to central jNIis- 

 souri a considerable number has been 

 found, though few of them are as well 

 wrought as those from the S. Rather 

 rough ones occur along the Delaware r. 

 Beyond the limits indicated the type 

 practically disappears. Discoidal stones 

 corresponding closely with eastern types, 

 save that the faces are i-arely concave, 

 are found in the Pueblo country and in 

 the Pacific states. See Chunkey. 



Objects of the class here described are 

 referred to by numerous authors, includ- 

 ing Fowke (1) Arch;eol. Hist. Ohio, 1902, 

 (2) in 13th Rep. B. A. E., 1896; Jones, 

 Antiq. So. Inds., 1873; Moorehead, Pre- 

 hist. Impls., 1900; Squier and Davis, An- 

 cient Monuments, 1848; Ran, Archfeol. 

 Coll. Nat. Mus., 1876; Thruston, Antiq. 

 Tenn., 1897. (g. f.) 



Disease. See Health. 

 Dishes. Vessels for the preparation and 

 serving of food and other purposes were 

 manufactured by all Indian tribes. While 

 their use as receptacles prescribes a con- 

 cavity of circular, oval, or oblong outline, 

 there is a great variety of shape, decora- 

 tion, etc., according to individual taste 

 or tribal custom, and a wide range of 

 material, as stone, shell, bone, ivory, 

 horn, rawhide, bark, wood, gourd, pot- 

 tery, and basketry. 



The vessels for serving food were not 

 used to hold individual portions, for the 

 Indians ate in common; but the little 

 dishes held salt and other condiments, 

 small quantities of delicate foods, etc. 

 The larger dishes contained preparations 

 of corn or other soft vegetables, and the 

 trays and platters were for game, bread, 

 etc., or for mixing or preparing food. 

 In many cases the cooking pot held the 

 common meal, and portions were taken 



out by means of small dishes and ladles, 

 in which they were cooled and eaten. 

 Some dishes had special uses, as platters, 

 mats, and trays for drying fruits, roasting 

 seeds, etc., and as ceremonial bowls, bas- 

 kets, etc. 



From archeological sites have been col- 

 lected many examples of dishes. Some 

 made of soapstone were found in several 

 Eastern and Southern states, and in 

 Wyoming and California. Vessels formed 

 of seashells, cut principally from Busy- 

 con, and also from Cassis, Sfruinbus, and 

 Fasciolaria, were found in Ohio, Indiana, 

 Illinois, Iowa, Arkansas, Georgia, and 

 Florida. Dishes of pottery come from 

 many parts of the United States and some 

 made of wood from Florida. 



The Indians in general used dishes of 

 wood, and even where pottery, basketry, 

 and bark were common, wooden vessels 

 were made. Each region supplied suit- 

 able woods. A predilection for burl wood 

 and knots was general. The majority of 

 existing wooden vessels were fashioned 

 with iron tools, but before metal was 

 introduced they were excavated by means 

 of fire and stone tools. Eskimo wooden 

 dishes were sometimes cut from a single 

 piece, but they usually had a rim of bent 

 wood fastened to the excavated bottom 

 and were oval in shape. Those of the 

 N. W. coast tribes were boxes of rectangu- 

 lar shape, with scarfed and bent sides 

 attached to the bottom; but the Indians 

 also had excavated dishes carved to rep- 

 resent animal forms in great variety, and 

 small bowls of horn occur. The Salishan 

 tribes made dishes of wood and horn 

 which were elaborately carved. The 

 northern Athapascans as a rule used 

 dishes, platters, and trays of birch bark 

 folded and sewed, but among some tribes 

 the dishes were like those of the Eskimo. 



The Chippewa had well-finished wooden 

 dishes of rectangular, oval, or circular 

 shape. The Iroquois made excellent 

 dishes, cups, bowls, etc., of burl wood, 

 and sometimes furnished them with han- 

 dles. The Plains Indians also used in 

 preference burl or knot wood, and while 

 as a rule their dishes were simple in out- 

 line and homely, some specimens were 

 well carved and finished. The Virginia 

 and other Southern Indians cut dishes, 

 often of large size, from softwood; of these 

 the Cherokee and Choctaw bowls and 

 platters made of tupelo are noteworthy. 

 The Ute made rude oval bowls with pro- 

 jections at the ends, and oblong platters 

 and knot bowls with handles. The 

 Paiute used for dishes the carapace of the 

 box turtle. The Pueblos, while relying 

 mainly on pottery and basketry, had 

 dishes wrought from knots and mountain- 

 sheep horn. The Pima and Papago made 

 oblong trays and shallow platters from 



