The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-13
Indian Relics.

THR VIRGINIA INDIANS TO BE SENT TO TIL
BOSTON FAIR THROUGH THE COURTESY OI
THE CHESAPEAKE AND ONO RAILWAY CON
PASY.
The card Of Indian relics exhibited il
the front window OF this Office Is intended
by the owner, u. Il. Owen, Esq, for Bos
ton, where il will he sure to attract the at
tention OF IndianOlogists. The body Of the
card contains chiefly arrow-hcads OF va
rlous types and patterns, intersperset
amongst which are here and there a few
spear-heads, scrapcrs, and borers. The
heavier implements at the four corners are
supposed tomahawks-three OF the so-caled
Neolithc age and one Of the Palneolthic
The latter may have been designed for &
hoe or digger, and even the former may
have served indifierently in a field Of maize
or in a field Of battle.
These implements were all made during
the stone age OF Virginia, when bronze and
iron were unknown to its natives. The
material Of the relics is generally quartz
and quartzite, or some specimens Of the
numerous quartz family. 1t is likely thai
the artilicers Of these implements softened
the stones from which they are fashioned
by burying them in the earth, and then
proceeded with some hard substance like
dccr-horn to piece them into the peculiar
shapes which give to all such works OF the
aborlgines OF America their distinctive in.
diyidualities.
The triangular spikes, one or two large
specimens Of which may be seen in the
card, are commonly found in greater abun-
dance above than below our tidc-water
They occur as dominant types i'm the more
recent cncampmcntS Of the fierce Mannikin
tribe who occupied the western border OF
King Powhatan's territory, and were hence
given the name Mannikin." by which
they are known TO Nirginan collectors.
The Mannikin " arrowhead is the sim
plcst, the most beautiful, and possibly the
most effective weapon Of offence to be
found in ABORIGINAL Virginia. The type OF
the family, 30 far as the writer's obSerya.
ton goes, is an isoscelcs triangle, modified,
according to the fancy OF the designer and
according TO the temper Of the material
used, into countless variations, some OF
which exhibit in great perfection the arc
i'm combination with two angles, and the
eQlilateral triangle.
The former kind has a cutting edge IA
ther than q piercing point. and makes it
probable that they were used as knives
when firmly fastened at the end Of stick,
and not as heads OF flying missiles. The
shapes OF Indian implements, particularly
Of those which are chi>ellcd by stone on
pressed by decr-hOrn, are as multitudinou,
aS the leaves OF the forest or as the patterns
Of the Indian pottery. In other words, no
man has ever seen an Indian arrowhead on
tomahaWk which il the exact counterpart
OF another.
The Indians had their workshops, where
in they regularly fashioned implements for
the use OF the tribes, but the eye was the
only measure OF the shape designed. and
the hand the only measure Of the pattern
required.
In order TO get the shape required, and
TO observe the limits OF the pattern type,
some preparatory work was undertaken
such as splitting and cleaving the mother
rock into adaptable blades or chips. Tho
shape Of the implement was frequently de-
tcrmincd 10y the shape OF the clcayed chip
Some arrow-hcadS are the work OF weeks,
or months whilst others are struck off at &
moments heat. \ practiced archer ear
readily make Il day several hundred rough
shaped arrow-hcads, provided that suitable
chips lie furnished him ready to hand.
Frank Cushing, Of the Smithsonian, has
learned the art Ui making these imple'
mcnts, and, with no other tools than those
used by the Indians, can turn out, 50 it l.
said, very crCditablc work indeed.
We would like to speculate as 10 the age
when arrow-heads were first introduced
amongst the Virginia tribes, but the limit
of a newspaper will hardly suffice for the
purpose. This much can be said will
truth, however, that arroW-hcads are O
much more recent manufacture than spear
heads, and in all probability rOugh-cu
tomahawks are the most ancient nipple
mcnts to be found either upon the surface
OF the old Indian fields, or in the depths o.
the riyer-grayels lying on either bank o
the James river.
The collection OF Mr.. Owen will appeal
at the Boston Fair with the Chesapeake ant
Ohio Railway Company's exhibits
through the courtesy Of the officers OF tha
company. 1t will doubtless receive no lit
tie attention, particularly a. most OF The
arrows, &c., came from such historic spot
as the bank, Of the Chckahominy and th
neighborhOods Of Cold IIarDor, Malvern
Hill, and Yellow Tavern.