Jingle Dress Cones- Starkville, MS
FLORIDA MUSEUM PHOTO BY JEFF GAGE
In late 1540, Hernando de Soto and his men settled at a Mississippi site written as “Chikasha”. Following months of abuse towards local tribes, the Spainards were attacked and driven out of the areas. After their departure, indigenous communities collected leftover armory and reused it to suite their own needs.
Archaeologists found examples of repurposed metal at Stark Farms, despite the site being located several miles away from the original Chikasha battlegrounds. Some of the repurposed artifacts included celts from barrel bands, awls from rod stocks and tinkler cones from kettles or pots.
Tinkles / Tinklers / Ziibaaska’iganan have had many uses throughout history. In Late Woodland burials, tinkler cones were attached to hair, not clothing. However, most tinklers are known to be sewn to clothing like Jingle Dresses. The origin story states that an elder dreamt of the jingle dress as a way to cure his granddaughter from sickness. The dress and dance continue to symbolize prayer and wellness in modern powwows.
