Fig. 369. (S. 1–2.) Two beautiful black slate ornaments from Fulton County, Kentucky. The one to the left is almost spudlike in character, but is too slender to be considered a true spud. Ornaments of this form are very rare and doubtless represent individual fancy, as do many of these things. Collection of B. H. Young, Louisville, Kentucky.
“In the following convenient classification which is based upon a rather exhaustive study of the available specimens and literature, the writer has attempted to explain to his brother students what are the differences both in form and probable mode of application of the several classes of these implements. This he has supplemented with extracts from the published descriptions, notes, suggestions, and theories advanced by leading archæologists and with such additional data as he has himself been able to collect.
“Those who have undertaken similar studies will appreciate the difficulties with which he has had to contend. It is therefore unnecessary to recall them here. The rather broad divisions proposed may hardly be found to include all of the known forms, yet the classification is probably as good as any that can be devised in the present and as yet limited state of our knowledge. The author desires to acknowledge his indebtedness to Dr. J. F. Snyder, Mr. Harlan I. Smith, Prof. T. H. Lewis, Prof. W. K. Moorehead, Hon. J. V. Brower, Rev. James Savage, Rev. E. C. Mitchell, and others for suggestions and data received and to his brother students in various parts of Wisconsin for the loan of material from their collections.
Classification
“In the first of these classes may be included implements answering the following description:—
“Class A, see Fig. 376. Blade broad, of a semi-circular, semi-elliptical, or somewhat hexagonal or triangular shape, flat or slightly convex, thickest near the handle and ground down to a dull rounded or fairly thin edge in front; shoulders square or sloping, in some cases rounded or barbed; handle generally long, tapering to a blunt point, and usually circular or elliptical in section. Some examples have the edge of the blade near the shoulder ornamented with incisions or deep notches and others also have incisions at the extremity of the handle. These implements are as a class graceful and beautiful objects and represent a high type of aboriginal stone art. They are usually wrought of hard primitive rock and are generally highly polished. Nearly all are of large size, the largest known example measuring 22 3–4 inches in length. Of their distribution Mr. Clarence B. Moore says: ‘Unlike so many of our aboriginal relics, this implement is of a type unknown in Europe. It is comparatively rare, though of wide distribution in the United States.’
Fig. 370. (S. about 1–2.) Collection of L. B. Ogden, Penn Yan, New York. At the bottom is a long slender ornament with slightly spade-like ends. At the left is the hoe-shaped implement which may be said to belong to the spud class.
“As the greater number of the known examples have been obtained in the Southern and Southeastern United States, that is generally considered to be the natural habitat of this class of stone artifacts. Specimens have been procured in districts as far north as Canada, but there is every reason to believe that these have been brought from some distant Southern or Southeastern locality in the course of aboriginal trade or war relations. It is this class of spade, or paddle-shaped spud, which we find most frequently described and figured in our archæological literature, and which in their endeavors to understand its precise office has cost so much trouble to our leading archæologists. Some idea of the several theories and suggestions thus advanced may be gleaned from the following extracts:—
“Dr. Charles Rau, in a chapter devoted to a consideration of ‘Scraper and Spade-like Implements,’ figures one and describes another of these implements. He speaks of their resemblance to diminutive spades, but does not assert that they were so employed. One of these in the collection of Dr. Joseph Jones, now in the University of Louisiana at New Orleans, was taken from a grave mound at Old Town, Tennessee. It is made of greenstone and is 17 1–2 inches in length. The other specimen is from South Carolina.