Indigenous Metalworking: An Examination of Metal Production and Use During the Pequot War

Summary

One of the most iconic moments of the Pequot War was the massacre at Mystic Fort, an event which occurred on May 26, 1637 and took the lives of hundreds of Pequot men, women, and children. Immediately following the massacre, the English retreated back to their ships and were followed by returning Pequot warriors. This paper will examine the native cuprous and ferrous objects recovered along various points of engagement on the English retreat route and analyze them in relation to metallic objects recovered from Mystic Fort and a nearby small Pequot settlement. Through the comparison of artifacts recovered on the retreat route with those found in domestic settings, it can be discerned if and how the Pequot repurposed cuprous trade items and if there are discernible patterns and reasons for the creation and use of cuprous “scrap” items. This research has implications for understanding the role of metal production in domestic contexts and the significance or lack thereof of cuprous scrap metal.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 81st Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL (2016)   •
• Exploring 12,000 Years of Occupation, Land Use, and Conflict: Archaeological and Historical Research Sponsored by the Mashantucket and Eastern Pequot Tribes

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