Primitive Salt-Making in the Mississippi Valley

Bibliographic Data

ID2747660
AuthorsDavid Ives Bushnell (corresponding author)
Year1908
Volume8
Pages65
Publication date1908-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueMan (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0025-1496 • E-ISSN: 2397-2548
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/2840529
OpenAlexW4244858976, W1171597579
LanguageEN
Citations received6

Although such a short time has elapsed since the greater part of North America was claimed and occupied by the native tribes, nevertheless we possess rather scant knowledge of their arts and customs as practised a century or more ago.This is especially true in regard to the tribes west of the Alleghany Mountains, and so it is with a degree of satisfaction that we are able to trace back to prehistoric times the art of making salt as followed by the tribes in the Mississippi Valley.Springs of salt water occur in various parts of the Mississippi Valley, but are mnoore numerous in the central part, along the Ohio and as far north as the Missouri and Illinois rivers.Many of these springs are quite large and their waters were oftent utilised by the early settlers ; but even before the coming of the Europeans the localities had been frequented by the Indians, by whom the water was evaporated and a supply of salt obtained.During the autumn of 1902 the writer, while conducting an exploration for the University of California and the Peabody Museum of Harvard, discovered a very initeresting and extensive site where salt had been made, which had remained undisturbed since it was last used by the Indians.The large eartheni pans in which the water from the neighbouring spring had been evaporated were found in a good state of preservation.The site is located about thiirty miles below the mouth of the Missouri and one and a half miles west of the Mississippi, niear the small village of Kimmswick in Jefferson county, Missouiri.The entire site covers between one and two acres, is level, and is elevated about twenty feet above a small creek which flows to the Mississippi.Less than fifty yards from the foot of the elevated area, in marshy ground, anid only a few inches above the creek, is a small spring of salt water, wlhich, however, was evidently of sufficient importance to attract many Indians.Several excavatioiis were made onl the elevated ground, buit only the largest and most important, a plani of whiclh is showIn in Fig. 1, can be described in this brief article

Archaeology · Geography · Salt (chemistry · Salt lake · American Environmental and Regional History · Chemistry · Geology · Indigenous Studies and Ecology · Paleontology · Sodium Intake and Health

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