KNIVES

TRADE KNIVES

At least three trade knife fragments were found at the Cater site. A complete brass handle in a filigree pattern with part of the iron blade was recovered from the midden and fragments of a second from the plow zone. This type of knife is known as a "cartouche knife." The brass plates were originally compressed with heated horn or wet leather to form the handle. Identical knife handles have been recovered at Fort Michilimackinac (Stone 1974:Figure 162N, page 268) and the Mill Creek site (Martin 1985:Figure 16F) at the Straits of Mackinac, an 1802-1803 Northwest and XY Companies winter trading post in Wisconsin (Oerichbauer 1982:Figure 36F-G) as well as other Fur Trade era sites. The photo gallery, below, shows additional views of the complete brass filigree handle. The third knife is represented by a complete iron blade.

This picture shows the filigree knife handle.

This picture shows the complete knife blade from the midden.

References:

Martin, Patrick E., 1985, The Mill Creek Site and Pattern Recognition in Historical Archaeology (Archaeological Completin Report Series, Number 10. Mackinac Island State Park Commission, Mackinac Island, Michigan).

Oerichbauer, 1982, "Archaeological Excavations at the site of a North West and XY Company Winter Post (47-Bt-26): A Progress Report," The Wisconsin Archaeologist 63:153-236.

Stone, Lyle M., 1974, Fort Michilimackinac 1715-1781: An Archaeological Perspective on the Revolutionary Frontier.

Hit Counter