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Undrilled Bird Effigy Pipes: Intentional?

by Steven R. Cooper, EIC

January 2011 Central States Archaeological Journal

Unfinished Native American bird effigy pipe made of green steatite with undrilled bowl from Roane County Tennessee — Three views of the unfinished steatite bird pipe. It measures 8.75 inches long and is 6.75 inches wide.
Collection of Jimmy Ewton, Dayton, Tennessee.

Recently I passed by a collector’s table at a show. Resting on it was a very fine pipe. I asked if I could pick it up, and he handed it to me. Carefully I looked it over. The pipe (Figure 1) was an effigy portraying a flying bird, possibly an eagle. It was made of highly polished green steatite. The collector told me it was found in 1965 by his father, R.D. Ewton, in a plowed field in Roane County, Tennessee. It has extensive plow damage. While the bowl is finished, the pipe remains undrilled and could not be smoked. I asked if I could take some pictures, thanked him and moved on to enjoy the show.

Sandstone bird effigy pipe with red ochre residue from Harpeth River Davidson County Tennessee — This 4.5 inch in length effigy pipe of sandstone was pictured in the July 1971 Central States Archaeological Journal. It was found by Maurice Miller near the crest of a mound on the Harpeth River in Davidson County, Tennessee. It is made of yellow sandstone and was originally covered with red ochre, some of which still adheres to the pipe.

When I returned home I recalled another similar pipe (Figure 2) featured in a Journal article years ago. This smaller (4 ½ inches long), but very similar pipe was found on a Mississippian site on the Harpeth River in Davidson County, Tennessee. This find was reported and pictured in the CSAJ (Volume 17, #3, 134–135) in 1971. What surprised me was this pipe too was undrilled in exactly the same way as the other pipe! Coincidence?

Large sandstone bird effigy pipe from Kentucky illustrated in Tobacco Pipes and Smoking Customs of the American Indians — The pipe shown on Plate 104 of Tobacco, Pipes and Smoking Customs of the American Indians, published in 1934. This pipe is from Kentucky and was originally collected by H.H. Ward. There is mention that it is in the collection of the Museum of the American Indian. It is 10.5 inches in length and made of sandstone.

I then looked at the bible of pipes, the huge two volume Tobacco Pipes and Smoking Customs of the American Indians by George West to see some further examples. I was surprised when I discovered just one example (Figure 3), and it too, was unfinished. Why make such a fine pipe which required hours of effort and then not finish it? Perhaps they were utilized for some other purpose rather than smoking? I am sure there is a reason, but it is lost in time.

References:
West, George A.
1934 Tobacco, Pipes, and Smoking Customs of the American Indians Reprinted by Hart Publishers 2001