Show UPPER implements IN WISCONSIN copper relics unlike those of stone being more sectional in their distribution have not been as extensively sought after and studied as the more numerous articles of stone it is true that occasional finds have been made in sections widely distributed but the main source of copper relics of utility is closely confined to the eastern half of wisconsin many fine implements have been recovered from northern and western michigan northern minnesota northern illinois and eastern iowa but the great bulk of these implements ts has been secured from three or four tiers of counties closely bordering on lake mich michigan igan in wisconsin the chief cha characteristic of copper relics felles from this section is their construction for the purpose of utility and the articles for ornamentation found in more southern localities are strangely wanting it is this fact and the abundant supply which will na turly lead an investigator to the conclusion that at some remote period how far remote it is impossible to state a people inhabited this section who used copper in its native state extensively for economic purposes I 1 believe that copper implements are now found in greater abundance than ever before and is it not significant that the latter finds those which were pun nos am aill ul ui aldeer a ioui last to appear are of copper it to is a common occurrence for a copper implement to be picked up in a field that has been under cultivation for fifty years this applies to surface finds those implements which are seldom found in graves mounds and earthworks earthworms earth works are numerous in the section where copper implements are most abundant in fact they are almost unknown in the counties of washington pond fond du lac sheboygan calumet manitowoc winnebago waupaca brown kewaunee and door in wisconsin which are situated in the heart of the copper I 1 implement field in these counties articles of sheet copper are almost unknown probably not one per cent could be considered as coming under this class it is equally significant that at least ninety eight per cent of the implements found in these counties are strictly articles of as fish hooks awls and needles many of the latter with eyes arrows spears knives chisels axes spuds etc many of these implements are massive in construction especially the chisels gouges and axes weighing from one to six pounds and beautifully wrought A singular fact regarding the shapes is the lack of the usual forms found in stone this is especially true of axes the grooved stone axe is common to the section but there is but a singe grooved copper axe in existence so far as the writer has been able to ascertain the spears of which there are several forms do not resemble those of stone being as a rule longer generally rubbed on one side and flat on the other although there were evidently several modes of attachment tach ment to the shaft they lacked the notched base peculiar to stone about two thirds of them were fitted with sockets into which the shaft was thrust these are further divided into two forms those which are ribbed on the back and possessing no rivet for fastening the shaft and those possessing a rivet and which are never ribbed the presence of the rivet to is made manifest by the hole which to is found in the sockets of these spears the writer has one in his possession with the rivet still in place the ribbed spears are the most numerous of the spears which do not possess posses the socket and which constitute about one third of the whole there are several forms all terminating in a tapering shoulder or spike for thrusting into the shaft they are not usually ribbed the knives are also found in both these forms but the order of number is reversed and most of them have the spike for thrusting into the shaft while a small percentage possess the socket the fish hooks are bent in much the same forms in use today but lack the barb they are often grooved at the end for tying the line the awls are round and also flat some of them possess an eye and they are fine specimens of workmanship this class of implements seems unlimited in size and undoubtedly represents implements intended for widely different uses they are found from the tiniest implement scarcely one inch in length to large bars three feet long and one inch in diameter axes with one exception mentioned above are celt like with raring flaring bit the chisels are among the most beautiful forms they are generally long and slender from four to fourteen inches in length generally ribbed on one side and convex on the other there are other curious forms forma and many peculiarities about these coppers mention of which must be omitted in this paper there seems to be an utter want of evidence of the use of these articles of copper by the aborigines within historic times the records left by la salle charlevoix hennepin hennegin Henn epin allouez and other explorers all cite the use of stone and bone in the making of arrows and spears and no tradition existed aft aa the time of their visits among the indians of their ancestors having worked the ancient copper mines at lake superior in fact the statement to is distinctly made that copper was held in veneration and tear fear the working of the ancient mines has been too well established to warra warrant contradiction but by whom and at t what time is a question shroud roudet sh ea ea as as much in mystery now as when first noticed that a people existed at some remote period in this section whose center of population is represented by eastern wisconsin who used copper articles of utility and of ornament to a limited degree only is established by the indisputable evidence of the articles themselves mostly surface finds it is true while the graves of more southern districts may show a preponderance of articles for ornament the fact must be taken into consideration that the contents of graves as a general rule are not a true guide to the economic life of a people yn tn a careful examination of a large assortment of copper implements numbering many hundreds gathered from the farms of eastern wisconsin I 1 find about 98 per cent constructed for utility and 2 per cent for ornamental purposes fish hooks constitute about 10 per cent awls and needles in various forms and sizes 37 per cent spears 30 per cent chisels 5 per cent knives 8 per cent axes 3 per cent spuds 1 per cent various bent and OW shapes 4 per cent I 1 believe this proportion will hold pretty true for all the thousands of implements in copper recovered in the district mentioned thousands of implements are yet to be found but it is doubtful if further light will ever be thrown on this subject to relieve the mysteriousness which surrounds them they come to light from their earthly bed green rust eaten and reduced in size by corrosion but they shed no light on their past history hia toty many of them have already been entirely reduced and have left but a greenish blotch in the brown earth and the ashes of the dead mingle with the ashes of their handiwork and the problem of their existence is in the keeping of the creator where the ken of man rea cheth not the antiquarian |