Adena pipe photograph   Save
Joseph Froelich Collection
Description: Two images show a human effigy pipe created by the prehistoric Adena culture, who lived in the Ohio Valley between 800 B.C. and 100 A.D. The second image, taken during excavation of Burial 21 of the Adena Mound in Ross County in 1901, shows the pipe in the ground, partially covered. In the first image, the details of the tube pipe are visible. Made from pipestone, this large, anthropomorphic tube pipe is in the form of a man standing upright, wearing a patterned loincloth, earspools and a feather bustle. He has a swelling on his throat that may represent a goiter. His head and torso are large in comparison to his legs, suggesting to some that he represents a dwarf, although this may only reflect artistic convention. The mouthpiece has a small hole in a semicircular projection at the top of the head. The bowl of the pipe is located between the figure's feet. The front, or ventral face, is light yellowish brown and much of the back, or dorsal face, is yellowish red. The pipe, which is also called Adena Man or the Adena Pipe, measures 1.97 by 2.60 by 7.87 inches (5 by 6.6 by 20 cm) and is held in the Ohio History Connection Archaeology Collection. As of 2013, it is recognized as the state artifact of Ohio. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: Om1289_793634_001
Subjects: American Indians in Ohio; Adena Culture (800 B.C.–A.D. 100); Adena Mound; Archaeology; Ohio state symbols; Hopewell culture--Ohio
Places: Ross County (Ohio)