Unusual Maine Pendant

[Charl]

Sometime prior to 1963, George Barton, an old time collector from Attleboro, Ma., acquired a large collection of artifacts that had been found at various sites along the Kennebec River in Maine. The majority were from a site known as Norridgewock, an early 17th century Abnaki village. The collection included many French trade goods, as well as artifacts of native manufacture. Included were a number of pendants, of which I was able to acquire the one shown here.

This is a small pendant of brown slate, with a turtle incised on one side and what I interpret as the sun and a star on the other side, a side that also shows tally marks. I also obtained a conch shell necklace(strung in modern times of course) showing conch shell beads and shell pendant, which were illustrated by William Fowler and included in a 1963 report on his acquisition by Barton, and appearing in the Bulletin of the Massachusetts Archaeological Society(Vol. 24, No. 2, Jan. 1963). The shell beads and pendant are #7 in Fowler's illustration shown here.

 

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[pong12211]

Wow I know absolutley nothing about native american artifacts but that is a really neat piece.. Thanks for sharing..

 

[jamey]

very nice charl thanks for sharing just awesume

 

[Americus]

Those are amazing. Imagine finding them.

 

[bsit1361]

Awesome

 

[Charl]

Thanks. Don't often see pendants this engraved. Maybe the owner belonged to the turtle clan...

 

[rock]

Nice collection there Charl. I am still looking for anything engraved. I am sure they did it here where I am but havent found it yet.

 

[pickaway]

Nice man thanks for the look...

 

[dlos]

Neat piece! Thanks for showing it off!