This pipe was recovered from the Sharps Creek site, a Great Bend aspect (ancestral Wichita) village site in McPherson County, and donated to the Kansas Historical Society in 1993. The soft fine grained material of pipestone enabled the pipe's maker to carve it into its elbow-like shape. The manner in which this pipe broke enables us to see the parallel scars on the interior, which were made during its production. Additionally, the black residue visible is likely dottle (tobacco remnants). Pipes were used during trade negotiations and to mark special occasions. In Kansas, these pipes generally were made by American Indians between 1350 to 1850 CE.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Pipestone Elbow Pipe from the Sharps Creek Site, 14MP408 - 2