[Illustration: Fig. 24—Implements and Ornaments of Copper.]
Although strictly a Stone Age people, the Mound-builders used Copper,
Silver and other native metals. They had not learned to melt these, but
pounded the metal into the desired shape, afterward polishing the
objects by rubbing. The objects shown in the picture are all made of
Copper. “A” is a Bracelet and “B” is a Celt, or ungrooved Axe. “C” shows
two views of what are called Ear-spools. These were worn as ornaments in
the ears, and probably signified some particular station in life. The
Mound-builders obtained their copper from the shores of Lake Superior,
where it is found near the surface of the ground. Many of the pits they
dug there are still to be seen. Silver was also obtained by them in the
same region.
Besides Copper and Silver, the Mound-builders used Galena, or Lead-ore,
and Iron, which they probably obtained from fallen meteors. The
non-Mound-building Indians used copper to a lesser extent.