Soapstone Ridge, near Panola, GA

All Text & Images: Copyright (2014)

Soapstone Ridge is an area of approx. 25 square miles SE of Atlanta.   It was the site of numerous Native American quarries
and workshops, producing bowls and other wares that were traded throughout the present USA.   The workers first girdled
a section of a boulder, broke it from the parent rock, and then hollowed out the removed core.   This stoneware production
dates to the Late Archaic Period (5000-3000 years ago), prior to the development of pottery.   I located one of the quarry -
workshop sites near Fork Creek Mtn, finding five large steatite boulders containing evidence of bowl manufacture.

~ Boulder 1 ~ This boulder contains many preforms and scars from removed bowls.

Detached preform

~ Boulder 2 ~

This boulder exhibits several planned bowls that were in the very initial stage of manufacture.

~ Boulder 3 ~

This preform had been worked considerably before being abandoned.

The preform from another angle.

~ Boulder 4 ~

Preform removal scar

Another detached preform

~ Boulder 5 ~

Partially worked preform

Click here for a display of the soapstone bowl production process.

Soapstone Quarry Index

Native American Index

SE USA Index

All Text & Images: Copyright 2014.