The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-13
salt pms OF
IAE INDIANS
Native Northern American
Pottery Dug Up
REDMANS FRYING PAN
Missouri Was Scene of ExCaV-
atoms
REDMAN'S FRYING PAN

Cambridge. Mass, May 12.-That the
aboriginal Indians of North America I'D
considerable cooking IN their time has
been made evident by the discovery u
various parts of the United States OF
numbers Of the eartnenware vessels
known as salt pans" but whose chief
use was apparently the preparation OF
food. These vessels-called salt pans by
, the archaeologist because their main pur-
nose seemed at first TO have been the
evaporation of salt from the salt springs
near which the Indians established so
many of their villages-are the largest
known specimens of native North Ameri-
can pottery. The largest one ever found
has recently came into the possession OF
the ePabody Museum at Harvard 1t
measures some 81 inches in diameter by IL
inches deep In appearance. therefore, 1t
IS very much like Il big, shallow punch
bowl. 1t was discovered not long ago by
an archaeological expedition under the
Joint auspices of the ePabody Museum
and the University OF California, and
IL an important part Of the instructive
spoil taken from what is now farm near
the meeting of the little Maramec and
the Big Mississippi rivers in jefferson
county. Missouri-once the site Of a small
Indian village.
This big salt pan, in which the Indians
not only evaporated salt from the water
of salt licks which stin exist in the i'm
mediate vicinity. but doubtless cooked
their elk meat or venisOn. Is only one of
q goodly number of similar but smaller
utensils found in the same iocality. The
larger pans were all sunk in the clay
bottom upon which the encampment had
rested. and therefore as permanent had
rested. and were therefore as permanent
as any modern stove or oven. The diff
ference was that fire, instead of being
built under or against the oven, was
brought to 1t in the shape of heated
stones, some of which still showing evil
dence Of the many heaungs to which
the Indians had subjected them, still re-
mated in the salt pans recovered by the
Harvard and California archaeologists.
Near the salt pans" or native cooking
apparatus. still remained portions of tho
ancient lireplaces in which the stones
had been heated. together with the bones
of several kinds of animals which form
ed part of the Indian bill of fare of about
200 years ago. These remains included
elk. beaver deer fox, and turkey. But
there We're no traces Of the buffalo, al
though buffalo remains are often found
among the relics of the Indians who once
roamed the more western prairies-
The big salt pan and its smaller com
panon pieces Of aboriginal kitchen anu
dining room economy were naturally not
the only evidence Of early Indian life
found in the old village so long hilcen
urder the plouehed burrows of modern
agriculture. The excavation. not yet full
" completed. has already revealed a
cemetery as well as a village, the GENE
tory differing from mist of the Indian
burial places already found and opened
f. various parts Of the United States, IN
that il was very much smaller th1n
was usually The case. Although occa-
sional isolated graves have been d.scov-
cred. she experience Of previous archaeo?
loeical Investigations would have I'D ma
turally TO the expectation Of finding e-th
e. q very small group of graves. ca h
Crntain'nE ore skeleton OF several skele-
tens. r a very lar~e one embracing hun
Ids o. 5Wilis. In tbs case only TWEEN
ty-ccvt u gra-as Wee discovered although
tbs ru-nha~ repres-rted ,ba buri.1 IF
seve-oi times as many Indians IN the
graves VII N were probably not earl er
TIM tEe ecve1teenth century. We're found
nlsnv smaller sorci~lans of POTTERY chief
Is cs~tb.,vya~a howe 8, ,,bf.b H.
fri-n1- AMI ,cl.ti,...s of i,,, d.,,,rta5 ,,..,,.
us would h. f-o5 snc,,eb ?, last tb,,,,
Cu,tnc tha p ron nov 10 che bannv hunt
in- ground s-ore bowl In ssre cases hay
IL e.issn Dr. bas, .o-.t-.-c7 ,,,1i.i.,,
for two warriors White i'm other c.sas
a s'r~le Narrio~ rcrha-,s q ,-.r,. b,,-~v
o2o 7,..i.,- his -ira.i-,, b... bo,,, .,,.,-,.i,,
with ,f.-aral Those b,,,.rs o., ;,-t,--..t,,-
c ut~sst VIII , so,,ou-A,. s-,,.i.,~ .,,,
tom thlr e.-.sts7 .,--o-.- .,o t-,,.,-,.,.,
r.-ia-s Of -rri,,.i4, n, ,.n;.,, ~. ,,,,.,.,
food ve.ssf- won. ,l,,,,st .i,,..,'. -,
In rio-es hee,,a b,,ri,f w., r,,r,,- ~,
,inhtosen tx. tt,, rs,co, ,.,,,,,-;,..- -,
thy were mad, 80 c-,,. ~, 10. -
from the hanks ~ the s,,,ll 81 H..
stiu ccnperts .ho sir, - ~. ,.;l,...-- an,
Tho ,fissi-~i,,.f live, 49, go -,
h: milo. dis.ent -,.;,.a ,,i.,
~, i, ~. -,,, -,
whether -fhe Irs,,rs a.t,,.,l,. -. ~
pot.er,e * o~s Of ia. .r.i,,...s -.
Of archaeoloev. ana II has bg.T -,
ee,a.i,1-,. s., 49,. ,,...- - -,
m5-a dincult coo,rins mans III; :, -
hive b,en sr i,,f,-i,.-.. 90,
ui-es a-c-stors
The ho-v,s b,,bs~ f-A,-....,
h. ,ba o,,rsr. d.. -. - 80
rrocsss w.. ..,,-,..,.,,- -,
a7.,,,,.5,-.,.. =. '''''U