STEATITE VESSELS OF NEW YORK STATE: A PETROGENETIC APPROACH AS TO THEIR ORIGIN AND TRADE ROUTES

During the Orient Phase, the introduction of steatite vessels took an evolutionary leap forward. The cultural significance, unbeknownst to the prehistoric inventors of these vessels, is still the subject of great debate amongst Archaeologists of our time. Where did the lithic material these vessels were created from originate, and what possible routes did these early people take to transport these items to New York State? One popular theory is a north to south migration of the vessels, but could the route be from the south to the north? While there is evidence to show that the north to south route for steatite is probable, very little has been done to definitively identify petrographically that New England is indeed the source of steatite that many of these vessels were crafted from.

It is the aim of this research to sample as many known sources of steatite in situ context as possible, and through the use of petrographic thin sectioning and cross polar microscopy, create a database from which vessels can be identified through mineral and chemical composition. Samples have been collected thus far from Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Vermont with many more sites to be tested. Additionally, samples will be obtained from the Gouverneur New York area talc mines for comparison so that no stone is left unturned. While a definitive answer to the trade route question may not be answered, at the very least a long overdue extensive petro genetic look at steatite will result.