-----Original Message-----
From: Diane B Rice <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Friday, April 10, 1998 11:14 AM
Subject: Re:Re: Marble Info. Request

Tom, I think you are describing Benningtons, ceramic (pocelain) marbles that
have "eyespots" from rolling into eachother during the glazing process. They
on the other hand are outstandingly hard and don't break as easily upon
impact as do clay. I have seen clay ones broken in collections but never a
Bennington (named this because of the similar pottery made in Vermont, but
not made there apparently)     Diane

>Dear Laura,
>    I am happy to hear from Minnesota, for both your state and Wisconsin
>have no location sources. After intense research on the clay marble subject
>by me and other archaeologists (Jeff Carskadden notably) there is still no
>way to date or define use of clay marbles. If they match a particular
>industry in temper or show fire torching in a prehistoric site you could
>hypothesize that either the pottery industry workers had children around
>them and allowed them to make them or the Native cultures might have been
>testing their clay for firing. As far as Ft. Snelling...what was the
>rationale for assuming they were used in pie baking? It's a fun new
>classification for "Other Uses" :-). Can you tell me briefly a little about
>Ft. Snelling, (date occupied) and I'm guessing the clay balls were found
>around kitchen garbage/sheet midden areas? I have hints about the movement
>of them by waterways so wonder if it was a Hudson Bay Company site? I guess
>to sound knowledgeable I will say that the diameter of the clay balls may
>dictate some of their function. Smaller than 1/2" (peewees) could have been
>used for practical functions rather than toys, and larger than 7/8" may
>indicate there was another use than the one you described or a different
>game played, i.e. stick ball,bowling.    Diane
>
>