Chapter 5

Nets were in use by the Indians of Florida and Virginia at the time of the discovery, and the ancient pottery of the Atlantic states has preserved impressions of innumerable specimens. The piece shown in figure 27 is from a small fragment of pottery picked up in the District of Columbia. The impression is so perfect that the twist of the cord and the form of the knot may be seen with ease. Most of the examples from this locality are of much finer cord and have a less open mesh than the specimen illustrated. The net illustrated in figure 28 is from a specimen of North Carolina pottery. Netting of this class was still in use among the natives of the Chesapeake region when the English colonies were founded.

The lesson of the prehistoric textile art of eastern United States is simple and easily read, and goes far to round out the story of native occupation and culture. Colonial records furnish definite knowledge of the woven fabrics and weaving of the nations first encountered by the whites. Graves, mounds, and caves give us an insight into the pre-Columbian status of the art, and evidence furnished by associated industries which happen to echo features of the textile art contribute to our information. Charred cloths from the great mounds are identical in material, combination of parts, and texture with the fabrics of the simple savage. Cloths preserved by contact with copper implements and ornaments characteristic of the art of the builders of the mounds do not differ in any way from the humble work of the historic peoples. All tell the same story of a simple, primitive culture, hardly advanced beyond the grade separating the savage from the barbarous condition.

[51] Nat. and Abor. Hist, of Tenn., John Haywood. Nashville, 1823, pp. 163-165.

[52] Ibid., p. 62.

[53] Trans. and Coll. Amer. Antiq. Soc. Worcester, 1820, vol. 1, pp. 318, 319. [54] Histoire de la Louisiane. Du Pratz. Paris, 1758, vol. II, p. 191.

[55] Histoire de la Louisiane, Du Pratz. Paris, 1758, vol. II, p. 193.

[56] Recent Archæological Discoveries in the American Bottom. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, March 2, 1877, p. 208.

INDEX

ADAIR, JAMES, on Cherokee basketry 16 weaving 23 Indian method of spinning 23 ALABAMA, Fabric-impressed pottery from 39 APOGYNUM, Indian use of, in weaving 23 ARKANSAS, Fabric-impressed pottery from 42 ART, textile, Memoir on 3-45

BAGS, Woven, described 33, 34 BARK clothing 17 fiber used in weaving 23, 24, 25 Mulberry, used for fringe 32 used in embroidery designs 28 net making 27 spinning 22 BARTRAM, W., on council houses of mats 19 on sieve of Georgia Indians 17 BASKETRY discussed 15 Earthenware derived from 11 Lack of pottery modeled from 38 rarely preserved by charring 36 BEADS used in embroidery 28 BILOXI, Mortuary customs of the 21 BRACKINRIDGE, H. M. on Tennessee mortuary customs 21 BRIDGES of wattle work 13 BUTEL-DUMONT, G. M., on Louisiana indian embroidery 28 featherwork 28 mortuary mats 21 sieves 17 Mobilian wattled biers 14 Natchez dwellings 14 rafts of poles and canes 15

CAGES of wattle work 13 CALIFORNIA INDIANS, Stone chipping by 41 CANES used for matting 18 CAROLINA INDIANS, Textile fabrics of 14, 16 CAVES, Fabrics preserved in 29 CHARRING, Fabrics preserved by 35 CHASE,--, on ceremonial knives 16 CHEROKEE, Basketry of the 16 Weaving by the 23 CHOCTAW, Woven pouches and blankets of the 24 CLAWS of birds used with embroidery 28 CLEU, J. F., Split cane matting found by 37 CLOTH. Methods of manufacture of 22 CONTI, a Georgia Indian food 17 COPPER as a fabric preservative 36 used in embroidery 28 CORDAGE, Primitive manufacture of 21 COSTUMES of Louisiana indian women 32, 33 COTTON shawls of lower Mississippi 25 CRADLES, Textile, described 18 CRESSON, H. T., Remains of fish-weirs found by 15

DELAWARE, Remains of weirs in 15 DE SOTO, H., Expedition of 25 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Fabric-impressed pottery from 44, 45 DU PRATZ, LE P., on Louisiana basketry 16 cane rafts 15 clothing 22, 25, 32, 33 dyes 20 embroidery 28 feather work 27 nets 27 sieves 17 textile cradles 18 DWELLINGS of wattle work 13 DYEING of basketry by the Cherokee 16 embroidery materials 28 DYES, use of, by Louisiana Indians 20

ELVAS, KNIGHT OF, on Georgia indian blankets 24 ELVAS, KNIGHT OF on Georgia indian costume 22 EMBROIDERY, Lack of remains of 12 of southern Indians 28 EMMEET, J. W., mortuary fabrics procured by 30

FANS of turkey feathers 17 FEATHER blankets of the Choctaw 24 weaving among Louisiana Indians 25 work described 27 Lack of remains of 12 FISH-WEIRS of Virginia indians 14 of wattle work 13 FLORIDA indians, Nets made and used by 45 FOSSIL fabrics discussed 28

GEORGIA, Fabrics from 36 indians, Textile fabrics of 17 Remains of matting from 36 GRASSES employed in spinning 22

HAIR used in weaving 22, 24, 25, 28, 36 HAKLUYT, RICHARD, on Indian sieves 17 HARIOT, THOMAS, on indian costume 22 mat houses 18 indian fish-weirs 14 method of spinning 23 HAYWOOD, JOHN, Mortuary fabrics described by 17, 29 HEMP, Indian, in spinning and weaving 22, 23, 24, 25, 34 HENRY, JOSEPH, Description of cane matting by 37 HOLMES, W. H., Memoir by, on prehistoric textile art 3-45 on Peruvian feather-work 27 HOWLAND, H. R., Copper-preserved cloth found by 37 HUNTER, J. D., on Osage weaving 25

ILLINOIS, Copper-preserved cloth from 37 Fabric-impressed pottery from 41, 45 IOWA, Fabrics from 36 IROQUOIS, Nets of 26

JOUTEL,--, on indian use of mats 20

KALM, PETER, on indian weaving 22 KLETT, F., Description of textiles found by 34

LAFITAU, J. E., Illustration by, of council mats 19 on Pamunki initiatory shelters 14 LAWSON, JOHN, on Carolina baskets 16 mortuary wrappings 26 Santee feather-work 27 wattled "hurdles" 14 LOUISIANA, Split-cane matting from 37, 38 LYE, Use of, in net-making 26

MCGiLL, A. J., Mortuary fabrics procured by 30 MATS, cane, Burial accompaniments found in 30 of Carolina indians 16 flags and rushes 26 MATTING discussed 18 preserved by charring 36 of split cane from Louisiana 37, 38 MISSOURI, fabric-impressed pottery from 42 MITCHELL, S. L., Mortuary fabrics described by 30 MOBILIANS, Wattled biers of the 14 MORTUARY customs of the Louisiana tribes 21 fabrics preserved in caves 29, 30 wrappings 26 MOUND-BUILDERS, Character of pottery of 12 MOUSE-WOOD, Indian use of, in weaving 23 MULBERRY BARK used in weaving 24, 25

NATCHEZ dwellings of wattle-work 14 NETS of Florida and Virginia indians 45 Manufacture and use of 26 NETTLES employed in spinning 22 NORTH CAROLINA, Fabric-impressed pottery from 38, 45

OHIO, Fabric from mound in 36 OSAGE INDIANS, Weaving by 25

PAMUNKI initiatory shelters 14 PASKAGULA mortuary customs 21 PEMMENAW, Use of, in weaving 23 PLIABLE fabrics described 21 PORCUPINE skins used in embroidery 28 POTHERIE, B. DE LA, on indian nets 26 sleeping mats 20 spinning 23 weaving 22 Iroquois ceremonial mats 21 POTTERY, Fabrics impressed on 37 Use of textiles in manufacture of 11 PRESERVATION of fossil fabrics 28 PUTNAM, F. W., Textile articles found by 35

RAFTS of poles and canes 15 wattle work 13 REEDS used for matting 18 ROPE, primitive manufacture of 21 RUSHES used for matting 18

SANDAL, woven, described and figured 34, 35 SANTEE feather-work 27 SAUTEURS, Use of nets by the 26 SHAWLS, Indian, used by Spaniards as sails 25 SHELTERS, Fabrics preserved in 29 SHIELDS of Virginia Indians 18 SIEVES of basketry 17 SINEW, Cloth of 22 SMITH, JOHN, on indian costume 22 method of spinning 23 shields 18 Virginia indian embroidery 28 feather work 27 fish-weirs 14 SMITH, JOHN, on Virginia indian sieves 17 wattled houses 13 SPINDLE WHORLS as evidence of textile manufacture 11 SPINNING, Development of 21 STRAINERS of basketry 17 SWEAT-HOUSES made of mats 19

TARGETS, Woven 18 TENNESSEE, Fabric-impressed pottery from 39, 40, 42, 43, 44 THOMAS, CYRUS, Mound exploration by 9 THREAD, primitive, Manufacture of 21 TURQUOIS among indians of lower Mississippi 25 TUSKARORA, Basketry of the 16

VIRGINIA indian nets 45

WATTLE WORK defined and described 13 WEAVING, Development of 21 Early descriptions of 22