🥇 BANNER A Rare Find - 17th Century Pewter Pipe - Native American & Handmade

Silver Tree Chaser

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Aug 12, 2012
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A recent search of the woods has me reconsidering my preference for searching open fields. I had been scouting for a potential cellar hole but only located the ruins of a barn. Over an hour of searching produced two plain buttons and a more satisfying recovery, an ornate horse bridle rosette of pewter and brass (possibly dating early to mid-1800s). Here’s the rosette.

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I widened my search area to hopefully locate the house foundation but only came upon another barn site with old trash scattered about the brush. Retreating back to the first barn, I came upon a loud, high-toned signal near the opening of a stone wall. I figured that the target was a shotgun shell, rusted can, or other form of modern trash – I couldn’t have been more wrong. After removing a large cut plug, and loosened up some dirt, I fished around with my probe and uncovered a small, intact tobacco pipe that appeared to date from long ago. Digging into cellar holes and trash pits over the years, I've found a few nearly intact pipes – but never complete and certainly never so old. :hello2:

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Such a surprising find triggers a number of thoughts in an instant: “How could it be complete? What are the odds of digging a pipe by chance? Pipes are clay – so what else was in the hole?” :icon_scratch: I picked up the pipe and was astonished by its heavy weight and solid feel! It was a metal pipe of lead or pewter! I was just ending my morning hunt, so I took some pictures and a short video. I searched for other associated finds in the immediate area and headed home eager to research my unique find.

I figured the pipe was Native American in origin, and a search online confirmed this beyond all doubt. The pipe was found along an old Indian trail in Rhode Island. The colony was founded by Roger Williams, the wayward minister who fled from the authorities in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1636 to avoid being shipped back to England. He spent the winter with a neighboring tribe, eventually settled, and traded with the powerful Narragansetts to the south of his settlement in Providence. His knowledge of the local tribes and their language resulted in his authoring a book published way back in 1643 - A Key into the Language of America. It was the very first study of a Native American language written in English; it’s this book that also confirmed that my recovered pipe was Native American in origin! In his book written in old English, Williams describes the metal working abilities of his native neighbors with the following: “They have an excellent art to cast our pewter and brasse into very neate and artificiall pipes.” I had found a specimen of one of these exact pipes! :icon_cheers:

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I’ve dug my share of pewter over the years, all of it reduced to bits and pieces, usually a spoon handle or a button, but somehow this pipe emerged from the soil nor worse for the course of 340+ years buried in the ground.

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I took the precaution of having the pipe checked out by a professional conservator who was very helpful and offered sound advice. I allowed the pipe to slowly dry as the conservator instructed, and it remains completely stable and solid. I still need to lightly brush off some of the surface dirt, but I’m going to leave the dirt in the bowl untouched. I’m making arrangements to have the artifact properly stored with inert material to minimize the chance of any future deterioration. Here's the pipe after thoroughly drying.

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The pipe dates as early as the 1630s and no later than 1676. The pipe most likely belonged to a Narragansett brave. So how rare are Native American pewter pipes? They are very rare. “Neat and Artificial”: Base Metal Trade Pipes of the Northeastern Indians is the title of a 2004 study of pewter pipes that I found online. This study could only account for a total of 43 pewter pipes in the holding of several museums. They are as follows.

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The study estimated that no more than 150 pewter pipes exist overall between museums and private collections. Nearly all of the 43 pipes from the study were recovered in the excavation of burial sites, as the pipes were deposited as grave goods. How it was that I came upon an apparent dropped pipe certainly seems highly implausible, but is it really so? This is one of my very best historical finds dating between the arrival of the English in New England and the inevitable conflict between the English and most of the Algonquin tribes of New England It was called King Phillip’s War, after the sachem of the Wampanoags, and the conflict all but consumed New England from 1675-1676. Interestingly, major fighting took place in the area where I recovered the pipe; moreover, colonial forces captured a large number of Narragansetts at nearby campsites. They were eventually sold into slavery in the West Indies. Perhaps these events are connected to the loss of pipe? It’s possible, but what’s certain is the overall identity of the pipe – dating to the mid-1600’s, fashioned from English pewter, Native American in origin, and fashioned by hand, as described by Rhode Island’s founder, Roger Williams.

I only recovered a single musket ball on a return trip to the site, but I’ll be going back sooner or later. My apologies for the long post, but the significance of some finds, if not many finds, is all in the details. :icon_study:

Good Hunting!
 

Upvote 140

pepperj

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Now if you don't dig another relic this season it wouldn't matter, this one is a once in a lifetime​ find.( Totally my own opinion) Congratulations on the great looking pewter pipe, and thank you for your in-depth research and sharing both with us all. What more can said except Banner find.
 

Tnmountains

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Instead of it just being an interesting find the research brought it to life. Well done!
 

plymouthian12

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That's awesome can't wait to see it. Congrats

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk
 

Bill D. (VA)

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An absolutely mindboggling find Jim! I had no idea the Natives worked with pewter, especially for the fabrication of pipes. Usually pewter items are formed by pouring it in liquid form into a mold, but I didn't think they had that technology unless provided to them by the early settlers. Also, pipes that incorporated a pedestal heel like yours did not start to evolve until after the mid-1600s, so I would tend to place your example toward the end of the time frame you gave. That style bowl also did not appear until around that time as the earlier ones were more bulbous in shape. Regardless, I'm still flabbergasted with your amazing recovery. Great write-up too! Banner vote is on the way .....
 

Relicific

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Awesome find and post
 

villagenut

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It's artifacts like this that keep our hopes alive. If this pipe could talk it would be able to tell quite the tale. You have done a great job in helping to tell the story. I bet as you examine it, you can just feel the history dripping from the piece. Congrats on a well done Banner.
 

gwdigger

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Congrats on making the banner with this remarkable find. Never even knew they existed.
 

BARKER

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Hi; INCREDIBLE FIND.!!!!!!!! I believe this is an absolute Museum quality piece deserving of FULL Conservation & Protection. I'm FLOORED. !!! I've been hunting New England for 49 Years and have NEVER seen anything like this come up at all and YES I do know a LOT of the Original Sites ok. When approachhing a Museum or Archaeologist PLEASE be very careful around them as they wil start trying to claim you stole it or you got it from a Grave Site or some other BS like that ok. I hope it goes to a local Museum for ALL to see and admire for Years to come ok. No matter what, This IS a BANNER VOTE for sure. I would love to see it on display along with all the Provenance. Antiques Road Show anyone ?? That is simply amazing. GREAT JOB.
I would dare say it is probably one ogf the most istoricallly Important pieces EVER dislayed here on TNet. AWESOME.
I also Hereby Vote for Banner Find Of The Year Award as well.PEACE:RONB
What say ye Folks ?? Banner Find Of The Year or what ???
 

WHADIFIND

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Excellent piece!

I've never smoked, anything! So....I was just wondering, wouldn't a metal pipe get hot? :tongue3:
 

ironhorse

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my eyes are little wider open than usual after seeing your find

your history lesson caught the detecting Internet on fire today!

very well done and congratulations on a great piece!
 

btjbtj

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A truly incredible find! Thanks for the history, and the photo of the awesome book by Williams (coincidentally, our ancestor!). Congrats. -Lisa & John
 

BARKER

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Silver Tree Chaser; YOU ARE "VERY" WELCOME. THAT is an of the hook, over the top find.!!! I believe it is a One Of a Kind Piece due to it NOT being found in a burial Site. This find could literally rewrite the History Books over that fact. If it is the ONLY one ever NOT found in a grave site then it is absolutely UNIQUE. I "LOVE" it. In 49 years of Hunting I have found some real heavy hitter finds but NEVER anything even remotely close to this piece. It is in a Class all by itself. You are literally looking at a Multi MILLION Dollar Piece ok. INCREDIBILE, Just Incredible. !!! I'mam Honored to just be able to see it. My hats off to you and it.!!!! :leprechaun-hat::leprechaun-hat::leprechaun-hat: PEACE:RONB :leprechaun-hat::leprechaun-hat::leprechaun-hat:
 

BARKER

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Hi; If you decide to sell this Piece By ALL means, "GET A LAWYER." If you don't you could get screwed over in the Legal Mumbo Jumbo they will try to throw at you to try and take it from you ok. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE Keep Us here informed ok. Thanks. PEACE:RONB
 

Scrappy

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Way to go with the banner. I was rootin' for you.
 

OP
OP
Silver Tree Chaser

Silver Tree Chaser

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I wish to express my thanks and gratitude for all the terrific compliments and banner votes that earned my recovery a place up on top. Your replies have been heartfelt, humorous, helpful, and always so encouraging. Although I have only met a few T-Net members face-to-face, I feel that I have come to know many of you quite well over the years. It’s a true privilege to share in each other’s research, experiences in detecting, and endless variety of fantastic finds. When it seems that making a great find is hopelessly elusive, I know that I can always check on T-Net, see all that’s being recovered, and know that success is just a matter of pressing forward.

Good Hunting
 

OP
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Silver Tree Chaser

Silver Tree Chaser

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Great find, very interesting, not heard of these.

''recovered in the excavation of burial sites, as the pipes were deposited as grave goods. How it was that I came upon an apparent dropped pipe certainly seems highly implausible, but is it really so?''

It's actually very plausible. You see this with many Archaeological finds, they often come from Grave situations where the Archies are more carefully digging. Time & time again Detectorist have proved what Archies have assumed to be rare grave goods are actually lost all over the place, including in hunting or settlement situations. If you had a central recording system for finds like we do, you would have more data & the Archies could make better assumptions.
Don't take this the wrong way, I'm not saying its not a rare find, only that the Archies assumption that they mostly turn up in graves is inaccurate.

Cru - You make some valid points. Thanks for the feedback.
 

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Silver Tree Chaser

Silver Tree Chaser

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My 12 year old son read this (over my shoulder) and said "man...see if that guy can finish my history research paper due on Friday".

I appreciate the request and his confidence in my research, but his paper might take away from my detecting time. :laughing7:
 

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