by Steven R. Cooper, E.I.C.
Volume 63, Number 4, October 2016 Central States Archaeological Journal
Figure 1. The sandstone effigy pipe found in Mississippi County, Missouri. It measures 3 inches in length, 2 inches in width and stands 4 inches in height. This view shows the human holding the bowl with his hands in a kneeling position, legs tucked under his body. The head is portrayed looking to the right and red ochre is still visible on the face.
In the January 1980 issue of the Central States Archaeological Journal, a sandstone pipe was shown that was in the collection of Sam Jones of East Prairie, Missouri. Several other artifacts from his collection were also pictured on pages 60-61. I recently had the pleasure to view this pipe, which was recently added to the collection of Sandy Carter of Roswell, Georgia. The picture of this pipe in this past issue of this publication (Fig. 2.) from 36 years ago really did not do it justice.
The pipe was found by James Hanes many years ago on his farm in Mississippi County, Missouri. It is a very interesting pipe. It is made from a fine grained quartzite. It measures 3 inches in length, 2 inches in width and stands 4 inches in height (Fig. 1). It is in exceptional condition without any plow damage, and portrays a kneeling human holding a bowl. While pipes like this are rare, this motif is seen in a number of other examples of Mississippian period pipes. The pipe was most certainly part of ritual paraphernalia. We can only guess at the meaning, but two things come to mind. First, perhaps the bowl is being held up as part of the busk ceremony, thanking the gods for a plentiful harvest. Or second, when in use, the pipe is offering up the smoke to the ancestors, so that they can be consulted on important matters. Certainly we will never really know what was intended, but the fact that numerous examples of this style of pipe have been found opens up the case that it was a common and repeated ritual throughout the Mississippian world.
Figure 2. The pipe from above showing the tilt of the head and other features. Note the discoloration of the interior of the bowl from smoking residue.
Figure 3. The original photo on page 60 of the January 1980 Central States Archaeological Journal.
Figure 4. A modern photo of the pipe in the same position as Figure 3 showing the detail and color of the pipe. Note the yellow ochre directly above the outstretched arm.
The grainy black and white image in the 1980 Journal (Figs. 3,4) did not show many of the important aspects of this pipe. First, it was originally painted! You can easily see the red ochre paint on the face, as well as yellow ochre on the body next to the bowl (Figs. 1,4,5). Undoubtedly in ancient times, the paint would have been brilliant, and the pipe would have been quite a sight to view. It has recently been discovered that many of the mounds were actually covered with a layer of clay that in some cases was painted red or yellow. Our image of mounds with green grass growing on them is a far cry from what the prehistoric Native Americans lived with on a daily basis. Their communities were a vivid contrast from the natural landscape around them, and would have certainly stood out. Most certainly, highly colorful pipes would have been the norm rather than the exception.
The pipe is well executed, with very realistic facial features. The hair treatment is especially nice, with a hair bun at the back of the head, and further hair enhancement on both sides of the top of the head (Fig. 2). The head is tilted to one side, and perhaps, when smoked, the pipe was oriented so that the face was looking in the direction of the sun or moon (Fig. 1).
Figure 5. The pipe from above showing the tilt of the head and other features.
Now here is the interesting feature that cannot be discerned in the original photo (Figs. 6,7). Both of the hands have six fingers! This is known today as hexadactyly. Many times the extra finger can be fully functioning. In ancient times (and even today), this deformity would have been a wonder, and most certainly an individual born this way would be considered very special and held in awe by those around them.
I have viewed several other examples of this style of pipe, and on all of these the hands have the normal five digits. I also spoke with several other informed collectors and none of them have ever seen this feature on other pipes or pottery. So the question is, is this a portrayal of an actual individual who had this rare trait, or was the extra digit added to give the pipe more powerful meaning? The ancients were very exact in their portrayals of nature, as can be seen in the abundance of pottery vessels Mississippians produced. So the extra digit is likely not a mistake. Perhaps someone out there has another pipe or human effigy vessel that shows fingers in detail? If you discover an extra digit or two, let me know. It would be interesting to see if this is a one-of-a-kind portrayal, or if this occurs in other instances.
Figure 6. A close up of the fingers on the right hand of the individual holding the bowl on the pipe. Six are clearly visible.
Figure 7. A close up of the fingers on the left hand of the individual holding the bowl on the pipe. Six are clearly visible.