At the Corwin mound, one and one half miles north of Waverly, Ohio, a curious thick stratum of a soft, black substance lay upon the base-line. In this were several objects of the “problematical” class. One, of galena, had two perforations, and was almost boat-shaped.
At Beavertown, Ohio, in a mound, the same survey discovered another slate gorget with straight sides and two perforations.
In all these burials with skeletons, the forms found were chiefly the pendant, the expanded centre, the ridged and the octagonal outline and tablets.
Reference has been made to certain ornaments made of broken ceremonials or broken gorgets. It seems that they may mean more than what is implied in the simple statement that a broken ornament was re-made into a serviceable ornament. That the following is probable, it is not claimed, but the assertion is ventured that it is possible. Since on becoming broken they are afterwards made into entirely different objects in shape, is it not possible that in their original form they were made and used by a much earlier tribe? Were they not found upon the surface by later natives, and fashioned by them into such ornaments as are common upon sites occupied in comparatively recent times? If this is not so, why do all the broken stones, when refashioned, take the form of ornaments different from those found generally throughout the country? It may be offered as a suggestion that the original form was a design common to the tribe that made them. Becoming broken they were cast aside. Subsequent individuals or tribes made quite differently shaped gorgets, and accordingly changed the broken gorget of their predecessors to the pattern that best suited them.
Regarding Wisconsin gorgets, Mr. Charles E. Brown writes for “The Stone Age”:—
“Wisconsin has produced a large number of gorgets. A few are from mounds or graves. They range in their distribution from the Wisconsin-Illinois line to as far north as Barren and Langlade counties, and embrace a variety of well known as well as some curious forms. A small number are ornamented with incised markings upon one or both faces. Some bear a succession of small incisions upon their edges at the extremities or sides, or in both places.
“Our gorgets are made of slate, steatite, catlinite, sandstone, limestone, syenite, mica schist, and of other materials. Most specimens have a single perforation near one extremity or at the middle. A smaller number have two perforations, these being placed at the middle, or one near either end. Gorgets with three or more perforations are of rare occurrence. Unperforated specimens and specimens in which the drilling has only been begun are occasionally found. Broken and re-drilled examples occur. The accompanying outlines are of some of the common and of the infrequent forms.
“Referring to Fig. 292, rows A and B are common and widely distributed forms. We have them from every county in the southern half and from a few of the southern counties of northern Wisconsin.
“Row E contains quite common forms. Many with a rude incised ornamentation. Fine specimens have been recovered in Ozaukee, Kenosha, Washington, Walworth, Jefferson, Rock, Dane, Dodge, Green Lake, and Waupaca counties.
“Rectangular and oval gorgets (centre of row E) are also of quite common occurrence. Examples have been recovered in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Rock, Dodge, Sauk, Manitowoc, Winnebago, Juneau, Portage, Waupaca, Outagamie, and other counties.