Pipe Found Help ID ? Moved

[Hunter1805]

[h=2]Pipe[/h]

I was in a field and had a signal and dug down looking for the metal and out comes the rarest pipe ever found "So I am told", a contact period Soapstone Pipe with letters on it. It has early colonial European letters on it most likely Jesuit contact around 1550-1650. I understand that No other pipe ever found has letters on it. It has a cross on the back, the letters H and S. We are looking for signers of treaties signed around then to help ID who the pipe was made for or the owners of the pipe. I then looked at the cross on the back and said if it was not a cross and it was a letter such as the letter I then it would read "" I H S "" as on top of the cross "In His Service" Folks I need to know what else you can tell me about it. and the value of such an item. I believe it has potential to be worth many thousands. Its face is that of a snapping turtle. Any private e-mails would also be appreciated. Thanks for looking​

Attached Thumbnails

Last edited by Hunter1805; Jun 03, 2013 at 09:13 PM. Reason: MISSING WORD​

 

[RELICDUDE07]

Great find im with ya on the I H S----looks like 1000 yr old pipe to me?may be they found it 500 yrs later & put the letters on it?Who knows

 

[GatorBoy]

What is that on the bottom?

 

[Hunter1805]

Later tonight I will post more pictures of the holes

 

[bci101tractors]

The local college, more often than not, is perhaps the best place for accurate info as well.

the "I" appears to be plow marks,it is not the same depth or quality as the other letters .also the letters i see are H S H .what are those marks on the bottom?what kind of metal/glass are you finding at this site?The local college is often the WORST place for accurate info.....

 

[Hunter1805]

Pictures

Some more pictures one more batch on the way

 

[Hunter1805]

pictures 2nd set

Some more

 

[quito]

Great Pipe!

I don't believe the I is a plow mark, not sure I believe it is an I or a cross either. Dont know why Christian cross would be crossed top and bottom.

It wouldn't take much magnification to be able to tell if the I or cross lines in question were a strike, or if they were etched into it.

 

[unclemac]

...and that "cross" is not engraved with as much care and detail as the letters. ...but it is not random either.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

How do I Become a Pipe Carrier? | eHow

first sentence....

ceremonial pipes were inherited...

 

[Hunter1805]

Guys thanks for the help, I learned that it is not a turtle but a "fisher" a fur animal. Things I know for sure. Its a Pipe Bowl, Has Letters, Has signs that look like letters, dug in the lower plow zone. Has a cross or letter "I" on the back. I H S In his service ? or HS and HS again . No other like it, Made by a Indian (I agree with this) Made by a Jesuit ?. Has holes for ? Value ? IF you guys come across any additional information please contact me .. Thanks

 

[keith2004]

" Lots and lots of completed soapstone effigy pipes found here in the Northeast."ya'll so blessed up there....i love the mystery surrounding your pipe....it is so much better than finding a common ol effigy pipe.a little mo info and im voting BANNER!!!

 

[RELICDUDE07]

looks aztec to me ------about the time the spanish took over America....

 

[Sara Jayne]

Guys thanks for the help, I learned that it is not a turtle but a "fisher" a fur animal. Things I know for sure. Its a Pipe Bowl, Has Letters, Has signs that look like letters, dug in the lower plow zone. Has a cross or letter "I" on the back. I H S In his service ? or HS and HS again . No other like it, Made by a Indian (I agree with this) Made by a Jesuit ?. Has holes for ? Value ? IF you guys come across any additional information please contact me .. Thanks

Hunter1805 I am also from WNY so I know who you speak of when you talk about the Native American history around here. Have you contacted the Seneca Nation to see if they could help you out a little more? Contacting Letchworth State Park might also help. Very nice find!

 

[Hunter1805]

I showed the pipe to two archeologists yesterday while assisting in a dig here in WNY. It is not soap stone but a soft sand stone. It was polished and formed by scraping the unit against a harder surface. They again were puzzled by the pipe and found it to be very interesting. The inside of the pipe bowl has trace tars from what ever was being smoked in it. Should money ever becomes available it would be nice to send the pipe to a lab and find out what the tar substance is.

 

[rock]

So did they say what period they thought it might be from? As in Indian or Historic?

 

[Tnmountains]

That pipe is amazing. Please keep us updated.

 

[pippinwhitepaws]

whew.
still going with the theory that the pipe is a reused hand me down...

if it is an original native piece at all.

 

[Hunter1805]

Lettered Pipe Some additional information

I spent the day with a nationally renowned archeologist Dr. Richard Michael Gramly who holds a PHD in archeology from Harvard University. I have known Mike for 15 years and find myself in a few of his books written about the Indian culture. Mike had the opportunity to look at the pipe and made the following comments about the pipe. The pipe is made of sandstone and was made by an Indian in the 1625-1675 period. The Indian had no idea about what the letters were. The Jesuits lived with the Indians and passed out many rings with the initials of IHS written on them. If you look I am sure some rings are posted on this site. The Indians wore these rings and as in this instance the pipe maker copied the initials as they were on the ring on to the pipe. They really had no idea of the letters but to the Indian they were symbols. So that is the logic of how the letters or as the Indian saw it symbols were copied from a Jesuit Ring to the pipe.
The pipe is extremely rare. Dr. Gramly said the pipe needs to be written about and published in the "The Ohio Archaeologist". Looks like I will be joining the " Archaeological Society of Ohio" with application in hand I must send it out with my check. I would like to thank Mike for his review of my pipe and for taking the time to comment on its historic significant's. I would also like to thank the group here for their comments.

 

[unclemac]

i love a happy ending...I especailly appreciate you letting us know the result!!!! congrats!

 

[newnan man]

Great Find and sounds like it has a good home.