Mississippian Smoking Pipe- Peachtree Mound , NC (3D)

Carved Clay Pipe (2158a6) by RLA Archaeology on Sketchfab

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Institution: RLA Archaeology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

State: North Carolina

Object: Smoking Pipe

Era: Mississippian Period

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In the 1940s, archaeologists excavated several Southeastern mound sites historically linked to the Cherokee. Peachtree is a North Carolina site known for its three-layered mound, ceremonial burials, refuse pits and other features. Numerous stone and clay tobacco pipes were recovered, mostly undecorated and elbow-shaped.

The clay processing technology reflects a long tradition in the Southeastern US, in which marine sediments were used in ceramic production. Burned mussel shells were added to the clay to achieve a satisfactory consistency to shape and fire it. This pipe also shows evidence of carbon from usage in the interior chamber, which points to the significance of burning and smoking tobacco as a social practice.

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Sources:

• Setzler, Frank Maryl, and Jesse David Jennings. ... Peachtree Mound and Village Site, Cherokee County, North Carolina. Vol. 131. US Government Printing Office, 1941.

• Blanton, Dennis B. "Evolution of a ritual: Pipes and smoking in Etowah’s Realm." Perspectives on the archaeology of pipes, tobacco and other smoke plants in the ancient Americas. Springer, Cham, 2016. 93-108.

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