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COLLECTOR'S

CABINETS
EASTERN UNITED STATES
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COPYRIGHT APRIL 30, 2005 PETER A. BOSTROM
Two large cabinets from the Wachtel collection.
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HEBERT C. WACHTEL (deceased)
OHIO COLLECTION

    Mr. Wachtel was born in Ohio in 1899. The picture above shows two of his cabinets of artifacts. He said he found his first artifact, a celt (axe), in his mothers garden. This picture shows many different types of stone artifacts from the Ohio area. The lower half of both cases contain three rows of large St. Charles "Dovetail" points that date to the early Archaic period. The bottom shelves contain several grooved axes. Many examples of bannerstones are displayed in the upper shelves.

    Most of these collectors were members of at least one amateur archaeological society, such as the Central States Archaeological Society or the Archaeological Society of Ohio. They hold meetings where collectors can gather to show and talk about their collections and new finds will often be displayed.

Artifacts from the B. W. Stevens collection.
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PHOTO CREDIT BILL FECHT
B. W. STEVENS (deceased)
ILLINOIS COLLECTOR

    B. W. Stevens was one of the early Illinois collectors who put together two large collections in his lifetime. The above picture shows a small portion of his collection in one of his many cabinets. Both collections were dispersed many years ago. This picture shows several rows of grooved axes at the bottom and five large Mill Creek chert spades just above. The top shelf is holding a large number of discoidals and a row of notched hoes just above them. The flaked chert pieces at the top appear to be Wadlows, Etley, Sedalias and Archaic knives.

    The amateur Archaeological societies also publish journals where many of the early collectors have illustrated their best artifacts. The earliest journals, like "The American Archaeologist" date to the late 1800's and were illustrated with crude line drawings. The more recent journals like the "Ohio Archaeologist" and the "Central States Archaeological Journal" are well illustrated with black & white and color photographs.

Artifacts from the Robert Jenkins collection.
ROBERT JENKINS

ILLINOIS COLLECTOR

     Robert Jenkins is known for his large collection of Jersey Bluff discoidals. This picture shows a small portion of his large collection. The top shelf contains a few Jersey Bluff discoidals. The other two shelves hold several different types of artifacts from different time periods. There are knives, drills--perforators, plummet, axe, shell necklaces, etc.

    They say it's human nature to collect things. Even prehistoric cultures in North America have been known to have collected artifacts. Burial mounds have produced earlier cultural material that were collected and placed there by a later culture. Ancient projectile points have also been found in medicine bags of more recent southwestern native American Indian cultures.

A cabinet full of artifacts from Illinois.
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CABINET FULL OF STONE ARTIFACTS
ILLINOIS COLLECTION
(ANONYMOUS)

    This picture shows a large collection of stone artifacts from the Illinois area. Notice the large grooved axes and large Mississippian spades in the lower shelves. The upper shelves hold several large knives, large bifaces, a few projectile points, three clay human figures from cultures in Mexico and a pottery trowel.

    Artifact collectors represent one of three large and separate categories or groups of people who handle and study Stone Age artifacts. The other two are the professional archaeologists and the flintknappers. Each group have very strong viewpoints and as expected, they don't necessarily agree. In the beginning, artifact collecting was a very simple procedure. It involved surface collecting a projectile point or knife blade in a field that was plowed by a horse. But, as the years have gone by, population, profit, human remains and even the internet have intensified the collecting issues. There is no doubt that the "ceremonial" objects made of clay and stone are the most impressive artifacts to many collectors. Just as there is also no doubt that the recorded surface collections will be the most important to science.

"REFERENCES"

1960  Wachtel, H. C., "Who's Who In Indian Relics No. 1," pp. 68-69.
1968
  Wachtel, H. C., "Who's Who In Indian Relics No. 2," pp. 194-196, pp. 232-233.
1972  Parks, Cameron & Thompson, Ben W., "Who's Who In Indian Relics No. 3," p. 8.
1984 Thompson, Ben W., "Who's Who In Indian Relics No. 6," p.44.
1996  Hoving, Thomas, "False Impressions," p. 24.
1999  Braden, Maria, "Trafficking In Treasures," "American Archaeology," Vol. 3 No. 4. p.19.
Personal communications with Floyd Ritter.

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