These pipestone elbow pipe fragments were excavated in 1986 during a highway salvage project at the Mem site, undertaken by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers. The soft fine grained material of pipestone enabled the pipe's maker to carve it into its elbow-like shape. The three pipe fragments on the top row were made of Kansas pipestone. Pipes were used during trade negotiations and to mark special occasions. In Kansas, these pipes are generally made by American Indians between 1650 to 1850. However, all of these pipes were broken during manufacture and were never smoked. The Mem site, in Marion County, is a Great Bend aspect, ancestral Wichita village.

Date: 1500-1800 CE