Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1855-12-22
ANTIQUITIES of Lake Superior.

LII eACdFGtlIlp near tllt luoull vi carp hlFeT,
Marquette County in what appeared to be the
ancient bed of the river, Situated about ten feet
above the present bed various implements and
tools of copper have been found, such as knives
chisels, bodkins, Tor a tool similar to bodkin,
also arrow heads or barbs such as are used by
the Indians in their wild state where they can
not get guns, also chips and pieces of copper,
apparently left from the manufacture of above
named tools. We have examined some of the
tools and implements, and have in our possess
ion knife obtained from the excavation refer
red to. Large pine trees stood over the place
where the knife was obtained, at least one hum
dred years old. How long the knife and other
implements have lain there is hard to tell but
suppose it must have several hundred years, as
a long time must have elapsed before the river
bed of gravel could have been formed, and SUBJ
sequently changed the soil deposited on the
gravel bed to the depth of two feet, and the pine
to take root, and grow to be one hundred years
old. The knife referred to is about seven inches
long, shank and all, the shank two and halt
inches long. It is made of copper, with pieces
of silver attached as we see in specimens pro-
cured from the mines now being worked in the
country. In shape the knife corresponds very
well to those generally used, and preferred by
the natives of the country, viz: with an oval
blade. 1t also appears to be a fancy knife, tip
ped off with silver from point to shank; it is
also very hard for copper, SO much SO that it is
difficult to bend it without breaking. This fact
goes to show that the manufacturer, whoever he
may have been, understood the process of har-
dening copper. The same fact holds good in
relation to the other implements. To prove the
fact that these implements had been hardened,
and that their hardness is not due to any chem
;oa1 al, hot oh box,o NJ
quent to their deposte in the river bed, we have
only to compare them with the shavings and
chips found with them, and probably part of
the original piece from which they were man
ufactured. These chips or shavings are per-
fectly malleable, the same as we find the native
copper obtained from the present mines. Con-
sequently. if any change had taken place, it
must have, or probably would have produced q
corresponding change in the chips or shavings.
In fact the existence of these shavings proves
that they must have had some tools harder than
the maleable copper, and thinner than those or
dinarily made of stone, as some of these shaw
ings are very thin, and have the appearance of
being cut with some sharp tool. The socket of
the chisel or bodkin flor we know of no better
name to call it, was formed by hammering the
copper out fiat, and turning this, form the sock
ct. The sock is neither welded nor soldered
proving that the manufacturer did not under
stand that art.
The present native races in the country have
no knowledge of the people who manufactured
these implements, and worked the Copper Mines
Of Lake Superior hundreds of years ago. At the
mouth of the river allowed referred to are album
cant evidences to show that there has been a
town or village there many years ago. These
evidences consist in the fact that lines of houses
can be traced by the stone and clay informing
led that formed their chimeneys and fire places.
The outlines of the buildings are tracable in
the ridge of clay that has fallen from their de-
cryed walls. These were probably composed Of
logs and painted or plastered with the clay that
now indicates their existence. These indications
exist on ground where the forest few years
since waved in its majesty of hundred years
growth, but now have given away to other oc-
cupants, hitherto unknown in that land. The
strong probability is that the inhabitants of
these dwellings were the manufacturers of these
implements above referred to, and that they
were lost in the river by them, while engaged
in the common adyocations of life.
Lake Superior Journal