Soapstone Quarry

[Charl]

Old photo of the Ochee Springs soapstone quarry in RI. New England soapstone quarries were in use during the Transitional Archaic, or about 2700-3700 years ago for the production of soapstone utensils, such as bowls, dishes, cups, etc. You can still see bowl blanks attached to the soapstone ledge. Also shown is a blank for a shallow bowl I found in a field about 5 miles as the crow flies from another quarry site. These quarries continued to be busy after the introduction of ceramics since soapstone was a preferred material for pipes right into Contact times. The Ochee Springs Quarry is on the register of National Historic Sites.

 

[Pancake]

Ochee Springs is first on my list of places to visit the next time I'm in Rhode Island. Do you know if it's possible to visit the site? I've read it is privately owned?

 

[Charl]

Ochee Springs is first on my list of places to visit the next time I'm in Rhode Island. Do you know if it's possible to visit the site? I've read it is privately owned?

Last I knew you could still visit, but it's fenced off, you can't really touch it at all, and there is little to see actually beyond a small area of outcrop at the back of a parking lot. But you can still see some bowl forms or blanks attached. Not sure who owns it, actually. It can't be altered or developed of course.

 

[bravowhiskey]

I've never seen a soapstone assembly line before. Now I would know what to look for. And to find a bowl blank, now how do ya top that? Very nice.

Thanks for the view.

 

[bsit1361]

Very cool. We have one here in maryland. They used the existing boulders and smaller chunks around the outcropping. I have a few broken bowls that were unfinished having been broke during making.

 

[theviking]

Interesting stuff, Charl, thanks for posting. A friend gave me a crude, possibly unfinished bowl he found on private property in C.T. near one of their many soapstone quarry's. I'm not sure I would have noticed that it was even an artifact if I found it. Thanks again.

 

[Charl]

I've never seen a soapstone assembly line before. Now I would know what to look for. And to find a bowl blank, now how do ya top that?
Thanks for the view.

Thanks. I found that blank my first day in that field, along with a smaller broken blank. Thought I would find a lot over time, but never since in that field. Field was good to us though.

Very cool. We have one here in maryland. They used the existing boulders and smaller chunks around the outcropping. I have a few broken bowls that were unfinished having been broke during making.

Thanks, I got going too late in the hobby to see and collect at our largest quarry, which was developed years ago.
Years ago my wife found about 1/3 of a finished bowl in a few pieces I glued and a big spare piece. Did a good search for more first. It was in a fully exposed ancient hearth on mudflats at low tide on one of our bays. Lots of sherds and lugs, etc., over the years. The stuff outcrops in a lot of places in southern New England. Have found quite a few pipe forms as well, but no finished pipes.

Interesting stuff, Charl, thanks for posting. A friend gave me a crude, possibly unfinished bowl he found on private property in C.T. near one of their many soapstone quarry's. I'm not sure I would have noticed that it was even an artifact if I found it. Thanks again.

Your welcome. One thing to key on is it will usually, although not always, feeling greasy or soapy. Hence the name. Technically it's steatite but called soapstone just as often.