Lead-Silver Molds of the Osage Indians

Abstract

GEORGE E. FAY University of New Mexico, Albuquerque The first mention of the Osage Indians in Missouri history occurred in 1673 when Pierre Marquette and Louis Joliet located by chance villages of the two most important tribes of the state--the Missouri and the Osage. In spite of the fact that the state was named after the Missouris, the Osage were the more important of the two tribes. It was the war-like nature of the Osage that gave early pioneers immense trouble in their settlement of the rich river-bottom lands of the area. The Missouris rapidly lost their power through a series of smallpox epidemics and by constant raids of Eastern tribes being pushed out of the East by the white man. The late historic sites of the Osage, situated in Saline and Vernon counties, west central Missouri, have proved to be invaluable for the finding of historic Indian and European trade objects. Stone projectile points, scrapers, abrading stones, hammerstones, effigy, bowl pipes, and bone artifacts, are found in the excavations to be associated in some cases with flint-lock rifles, kettle fragments, copper crucifixes, porcelain and glass beads, all of European origin. Among the numerous Osage artifacts recovered are several carved stone molds. These molds represent carvings in sandstone, red siltstone, and white claystone, and have supposedly been used for casting small lead or silver ornaments'.