Clay Marbles..Indian or Modern?

[montyhall]

I have found these over the last 2 years while arrowhead hunting, are they Indian, or modern clay marbles? Thanks for any info, haven't turned up much with google.

 

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[diggummup]

Well I don't know if native American children played with marbles or not but as far as clay marbles go-

Manufactured mainly in the last part of the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth century, they are probably the latest of what are considered antique marbles, and the most numerous. The marbles were made both in Europe and in the United States, and possibly produced in other areas as well. A few clay marbles often were made by workmen for their children at factories which produced tile or other products. Factories producing clay marbles as a major product for sale were less numerous.
The first American factory was probably that owned by C. Dyke in South Akron, Ohio, in 1884. This factory enjoyed such a large business that it developed an output of 30,000 marbles a day. Another producer of clay marbles was an old German pottery factory located in Limaville, Ohio, operated by a My. Kuntze and his sons, with other employees from the immediate area. The factory was located next to the tracks of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad, which proved to be disastrous. Several large fires blamed on the passing trains, destroyed most of the plant, except for the kilns.

After the site stood idle for some time, it was purchased by the Lightcap and Allbright Company from Ravenna, Portage County, Ohio. The new company proceeded to rebuild the plant, a new office, and revamping the old kilns to suit their needs. They brought in new machinery to be used in the manufacture of clay marbles and set it up. One machine ground the clay, another was a wad cutter to cut the clay. The small, cut wads of clay were then placed into long wooden drums suspended diagonally on power driven line shafts, which rolled the wads until round. During the process, the wads hardened and were made firmer due to the high temperature in the drums. The marbles were then placed in fired clay saucers to be fired. Wood was used initially to heat the kilns, but later, soft coal would be used. After firing, the marbles were placed in long wooden cylinders and dyed, which completed the manufacturing process. Marbles were inspected, graded, and placed in small cloth sacks for shipment to various stores. Business boomed for the plant until another fire once again destroyed it sometime between 1906 and 1910.

Clay marbles come in all different colors, sometimes solid, sometimes lined, sometimes mottled or spotted, and often having no color at all except that of the clay. All sizes of marbles are represented in clay marbles, smaller sizes being more common. Larger sizes comparable to large German swirls or sulphides probably were never produced. Marble shape is also quite varied, some being oblong or flat-sided due to the crude method of production. Most surviving today are chipped and battered due to fact that they were the target mables in most games.

 

[sanford.]

I too have found many clay marbles while hunting Indian artifacts. Many of which were in areas where there were no houses...past or present. Some of the cruder ones I believe to be ancient artifacts. I was told once by an archaeologist that they refer to them as game pieces, not really knowing if they are for games or something ceremonial. Most of the clay marbles found today probably are 19th century though.

 

[SwampHunter]

We find two different types. Those that come from Indian sites far away from any old house places or signs of recent settlements and those that come from sites where there are old house places or settlements. My grandpa and dad called the ones that came from Indian sites Shin-knee. (Not sure how to spell it, so I broke it down how it sounds.)

The ones that come from the Indian sites are usually not as round as the ones that come from settlement sites.

 

[Montana Jim]

Those things are beautiful!

You can always PM our resident marble expert... duffytrash... and ask him to check your post. He'll prolly wanna see more and bigger pics, but he is the marble man!

 

[duffytrash]

albright was THE maker for clay marbles...but the native americans probably did make the clay spheres for any number of reasons. collectors haint too hip on the clays cause of eye appeal.....just about every pottery or brick maker made em on purpose or by accident...germany also made the clays and theres some speculation that they were used as ship ballast unloaded in new england...some believe thats how bennington marbles are in such huge numbers...if these were found with other indian artifacts then theres a good chance they were made by indians...if pottery shards are found around there compare the color and texture of the product...

 

[montyhall]

thanks for the replies, these are very round so more than likely they were modern made.

 

[diggummup]

thanks for the replies, these are very round so more than likely they were modern made.

" Modern" as in the last 150 years you mean right?

 

[montyhall]

Actually yes that is what i was refering to.. We live in an area where there was a lot of indian activity, and was hoping that these were from that era. I'm not far from Angel Mounds, and several University have conducted digs in the area, along the Wabash and Ohio rivers. Anyway i like them anyway!

 

[TXPlugKutter]

I have found several of the larger marbles and I was told that farmers or maybe even indians used them as egg decoys in their chicken pens. This way when a snake came in to rob eggs it would swallow the clay ones, which it couldn't digest. Thus killing the snake. Sounds logical but just my opinion.

 

[Duckmannate]

Hello I'm sorry to bother anyone on this but I've been looking and looking for someone with a helping hand as to what these are and if they may be any kind of value to them these are like the most coolest things I've ever found if you can help I would greatly appreciate it alot I dont get online alot but u can call me 8702834874 send text letting me k ow before calling who u are so I know to answer thanks again