Natural Science in Archaeology

136 6 Soft Stones and Other Carvable Materials
called any red argillites catlinite. However, the name should be reserved for rock of a
specific mineral composition. Other argillites and related rocks that were used for pipes
should be called pipestone. Sigstad (1970) has developed a field test for catlinite.
Although the best-known catlinite quarry is in southwestern Minnesota, there are
similar deposits in Wisconsin, Ohio, Arizona, South Dakota, and Kansas (Berg 1938;
Gunderson 1982). The trade in catlinite extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific and
north into Canada. Pipes found in Hopewellian mounds in Erie County, Ohio, have
been sourced to Wisconsin pipestone (Fredrickson 1981). Catlinite pipes, beads,
and ornaments were found among the historic Iroquois of New York (Wray 1957).
Pipes and other objects carved of this stone have been found throughout the Northern
Great Plains (Morey 1983). The Minnesota Geological Survey worked at the
Pipestone National Monument during 1980–1981. Their work resulted in the identification
of three sites in the southern mine area and five sites in the northern mine
area that have the highest potential for easily obtainable resources with minimum
extraction effort (Morey 1983).
6.7 Other Carved Stone
Porphyry. Porphyry from Mons Porphyrites quarries in the Red Sea mountains
(present day Gebel Dukhan) was one of the most valued stones used for building
decoration and for sculpture throughout the Roman Empire. Also called “imperial
porphyry” by Pliny, this red-to-purple porphyry was used for columns, baths,
vases, and boxes (N.H. 36.57, 88). Delbrueck (1932) has produced an extensive
monograph on the use of porphyry in the ancient world. His chapter on the written
sources by author, inscriptions, ostraka, and papyri is of particular importance. The
Egyptians employed porphyry to carve sphinxes and statues. In 1994, a previously
unknown black porphyry quarry was discovered nearby (Peacock and Maxfield
1995). The Romans imported green porphyry from Sparta, rosso antico from Cape
Taenarum, and breccia from a region that extended from northwest Turkey to Rome.
Other porphyry came from Chalcis and Scyros. During the Middle Ages, porphyry
was used throughout Europe for statuary, columns, altar pieces, furniture or parts of
furniture, and as a finishing stone. In Sicily, this material was particularly favored
by dynastic rulers to fashion their tombs. In Istanbul (ancient Constantinople), porphyry
sarcophagi are found in the Church of the Holy Apostles, the burial site of
many Eastern emperors (Deér 1959).
Mica. Muscovite mica is a sheet silicate mineral with perfect two-dimensional
cleavage. It is colorless and transparent in thin sheets. It has a vitreous to pearly luster.
Muscovite is common rock-forming mineral and form large sheets [more than a
meter across] in granite pegmatites. Its low hardness [2–2.5] makes it very easy to
carve (Fig. 6.8). The term for mica throughout Chinese history was cloud mother.
A treatise in 1070 states, “Mica grows between earth and rocks. It is like plates in
layers which can be separated, bright and smooth. The separate laminae look like
the wings of a cicada.”