Native American Artifacts?

Question

Can you tell me 12 artifacts from various tribes and describe them? I'm Curious to see whether there is a difference in most, or a likeness.

Answer 1

Browse the online exhibitions here: http://www.nmai.si.edu/subpage.cfm?subpa...

There is a lot of variety, especially from region to region.  If you pick artifacts of different usage or very different regions there may be more differences than similarities.

Answer 2

Is this what this is for?

Indian Lore Meritbadge requirements.

1d. Visit a museum to see Indian artifacts. Talk about them with your counselor. Identify at least 10artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use.

Answer 3

There are hundreds of kinds of artifacts, all with a great deal of variety.  Perhaps the easiest example to use is pottery.  Design styles on potter have always been known to be a way to differentiate Native American groups from each other, both contemporary groups, and changes within an individual group over a long period of time.

What you often seen is a similar general morphology (shape) which is based on the technological needs (pots need to hold water, points need to penetrate) with the non-technical aspects showing different designs (Beads made from many types of shell, but the types are specific to groups), types of stone utilized to make tools, colors used to decorate clothing, etc.

DM

Answer 4

Well, your question could be more specific.  For instance, there are a number of periods in time over the past 20,000 years or more to talk about.  Not to mention there were at least 500 nations.  So,it would be easier if you narrowed it down a bit, but I'll give it a shot anyway.

Of course there has always been some similarities here and there.  Even long before Europeans arrived there were large trading networks amoung the tribes who often migrated from time to time in history, or even constantly.  The similarities today are even more prevelent.  

You can see this at the pow wows.  It is not uncommon to see a Cherokee perform plains dances.  Therefore, much of their dress is the same...although not all of it.  One of many differences can be seen in the beading.  Moccasins were/are worn by many tribes and are worn for dances.  However, some plains tribes such as the Arapaho and Shoshone often have a rose design (here's an example:  http://www.ancientwayswest.com/Beadwork....  This design is very distinct to their tribes and even to family lines.  You often see more of a diamond shaped mossaic pattern on moccasins from the southwest.  This is just two examples of differences, and they are generalized.  I think you can get the idea.  And then, this isn't considering what and how they are made, or differences like Mukluks that are more like a boot because of the snow and cold.

There are also differences in housing.  Many of the plains tribes lived in tipis, but the Iroquois lived in long houses and the Choctaw lived in huts with roofs made of Palmetto branches (historically speaking).

If we go into prehistory, all of the tribes of the Mississippi River and even extending out as far as Wyoming and Colorado to the west, had very similar ceramic vessels that they used 1000 years ago.  (here's a chart of examples:  http://www.riverweb.uiuc.edu/prehistory/...

There are also arrowheads that are very distinct to time periods rather than region.  Clovis and Folsom points might be a good example to look at.  (example:  http://www.msu.edu/~doneycar/fkpg/fkpg06...  The the differences in this is often the material used to make the points.  They were made of stone all the way up to historic times, but you can trace it to a source.  Plus, you can't just use any kind of stone to make points.  The stone has to be able to withstand the flintkapping techniques used to make the point as well as any force applied to it if it hit bone.  The material was usually found within the region and was unique to those tribes.

Even then, you can find similarities in the materials too.  You can find points made of obsidian from Yellowstone in Mexico, and out east too.  You occassionally find fresh water shells from the Great Lakes out west.  That was all due to trading.

One specific artifact to consider is the Kachina doll.  (http://www.penfieldgallery.com/kachinas/...  It is indicative to the Pueblo culture and the Hopi and Zuni Tribes.  You would not find this particular religious artifact in a Seneca home.

There are wooden artifacts and totems that are indicative to the tribes of the Northwest.  I find these particularly interesting.  You can see every angle of the animal portrayed on a flat surface.  When you see them, you know what region they are from.  (http://www.inuit.com/Archives/ravenstori...

A Wampum is an Algonquian and Iroquis artifact.  (http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rb...

The Choctaw dress is very unique to that tribe.  It is not what they wore in prehistoric times, but it is now very distinct to the Choctaw and is even seen in a variety of colors.  It is more of a Spanish colonial style of dress with an apron.  Here is a good example:  http://jenniferhsrn2.homestead.com/index...

Here is an example of Navaho sandpainting.

http://www.penfieldgallery.com/sand.shtm...  When you see a sand painting such as this, you know that it is Navaho (or sometimes Hopi, etc).  However, there are other cultures outside of the US (such as India) where sand paintings are also made.  They just don't look the same.

Anasazi artifacts such as those found at Mesa Verde in Colorado are very distinct.  They are usually black on white with intricate geometric designs.  http://www.coloradohistory.org/HSP/YJPue...

Back to homes building structures, we can't forget the pyramids of the Aztec and Mayans.  In the Americas, they are very unique.  As far as pyramids go, you don't have to know a lot to be able to tell what particular group built a specific pyramid.  There is also the Aztec Calendar.  http://www.world-mysteries.com/dwp_aztec...  It is a very good example of the type of artifacts you can take one look at and just tell that they are Aztec.

Baskets are a good example of being something made by many tribes, but each tribe made them in different ways or often had their own designs.  Here are some examples from California:  http://www.californiabaskets.com/consign...

Well, I know that I jumped around a lot, but I tried to get you at least 12 examples.  If you can ask for more specific information, you might get more organized answers.  I hope his helps