These two pipestone pendant or ornament fragments were excavated in 1986 during a highway salvage project at the Mem site. The triangular pendant, recovered from a cache pit, has asymmetrical holes drilled, likely for attachment purposes. The other piece has a series of shallow grooves on one end and was recovered from one of the excavation units at the site. The soft fine grain of the pipestone material enabled the artifact's maker to shape and smooth the pieces. The Mem site, in Marion County, is a Great Bend aspect, ancestral Wichita village site. The project was undertaken by Kansas Historical Society archeologists and Kansas Anthropological Association volunteers.
Kansas Memory
Kansas Historical Society
Ornamental Pipestone Artifacts from the Mem Site, 14MN328 - 1