History through material culture.
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Jingle Dress Cones- Starkville, MS
Although Jingle Dresses are modern powwow wear, tinkler cones have adorned indigenous clothing since the 16th century.
17th Century Beads- Albany, NY
Colonial glass buttons originated from the Fichtelgebirge region Germany, known for their furnace wound glass technique.
Minié Ball- Pea Ridge National Military Park, AR
Over one hundred .58-caliber minié balls were recovered throughout Pea Ridge, Arkansas, proving the use of military grade arms along the Western front of the Civil War.
No. 2 Construction Battalion Badge- Nova Scotia, Canada
This cap badge was an identifying symbol of the No. 2 Construction Battalion, a Canadian Expeditionary Force that served in World War I. It was the only Canadian battalion of black soldiers at the time.
18th Century Dice- St. Augustine, FL
This die was made from an animal's ankle bone, similar to the Spanish game known as Taba.
Traditional Chinese Masks- British Columbia, Canada
Chinese Secret Societies were created to offer aid, community, and the preservation of tradition in enclaves like Victoria’s Chinatown.
18th Century Brass Saw Blade- Fort Michilimackinac, MI (Video)
The 18th century saw has rounded teeth, which suggests that the tool was used to cut materials like soapstone or catlinite.
19th Century Carving Fork- Nashville, TN
This carving fork was found at Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage Plantation. Two of the tines hold the meat in place, while the third “tine” is most likely a hand guard.
Cacao Vessels - Chaco Canyon, NM
As the Ancestral Puebloan culture grew in wealth, their drinking vessels became more varied and elaborate, with the most specialized and exclusive vessels belonging to the upper class.
Louis Riel’s Handcuffs- Saskatchewan, Canada
These handcuffs were used to restrain Louis Riel, Métis resistance fighter, prior to his execution in 1885.
Merry Widows Condom Tin- Western Science Center, CA
The Merry Widows was a popular condom brand in the early 20th century. Tins could be bought for fifty cents and contained three reusable condoms.
Mahjong Tiles - Halifax, NC
Mahjong originated as a gambling game in mid-to-late 1800s China and spread to a limited number of foreigners via trade routes.
Yucca Sandals – Canyon of the Ancients, CO
This sandal, woven from yucca fibers, was found at Canyon of the Ancients National Monument in southwestern Colorado. Between approximately 15000 BC and 1300 AD, the area was home to the Ancestral Puebloans.
Hardee Hat Pin - Tucson, AZ
This hat pin, found at the former site of Fort Lowell in Tucson, AZ, comes from the regulation Hardee hat for Union soldiers during the American Civil War.
Slate Pencil- Boston, MA
This slate pencil likely belonged to a Boston schoolchild in the 1800s. They were commonly used in schoolhouses for writing and math exercises before paper became widely available.
Yamasee Bowl- Combahee River, SC
While in Florida, the Yamasee were associated with Lamar pottery, a style of mostly jars and bowls with thin walls and exterior surface decoration. After they moved to South Carolina, the Yamasee quickly adopted the Altamaha/San Marcos ceramics of their new home.
Abenaki Earring- Quebec, Canada
Earrings and nose rings were important additions to Abenaki outfits.
Blue Glass Bead-Fort Mose, FL (3D)
Archaeologists found this glass bead at Fort Mose in Florida. Fort Mose was the first free Black community in the territory that would become the United States of America.
Kuukpak Antler Comb-NWT, Canada
This 500 year old antler comb was made by the ancestors of the Inuvialuit that still live in the region today.
Suribachi- Box Elder County, UT
The bowl is part of a mortar and pestle set known as “suribachi & surikogi”. Both tools are used to process sesame seeds, nuts, rice and other ingredients in Japanese cooking.