May 1, 2017
by Melody Pope, Curator of Collections
Robert F. Braunlin, M.D., and G. Louise Braunlin Collection
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology announces the donation of significant artifacts, books and related documents from the family of Robert F. Braunlin, M.D., and G. Louise Braunlin. Dr. Robert F. Braunlin was an avid collector of Native American material culture especially in the 1930s and 1940s. The collection was passed down to Dr. Braunlin’s son William. William Braunlin’s son, also Robert F. Braunlin, and his sons completed the transfer to the GBL in December 2016. The items will be part of the laboratory’s permanent archaeological collection, and will also be part of the donated collections that explore the practice of collecting antiquities during the early part of the twentieth century. The collection numbering nearly 1,200 items includes ceramic vessels, pipes, atlatl weights, bone tools, plummet stones and numerous chipped and ground stone tools.
Jeremiah Mattix Collection
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology announces the donation of a small collection of artifacts from the family Jeremiah Mattix. Mr. Mattix farmed in Indiana Creek Township, Pulaski County, and Liberty Township, White County, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries; this donated collection reflects the collecting of Native American artifacts turned up by his plow. The collection was passed down to the granddaughter of Jeremiah Mattix, Orpha Wickersham, and then to her executor who was the mother of David Lottes of Fairmount, Illinois. Mr. Lottes donated the items to the GBL on behalf of Jeremiah Mattix. The items will be part of the laboratory’s permanent archaeological collection, and will also be part of the donated collections that explore the practice of collecting antiquities during this time period. The collection includes numerous projectile points that will be part of a project that maps spatial distributions of point types and raw materials across land forms and regions in Indiana.
Anonymous Collection
The Glenn A. Black Laboratory of Archaeology announces the donation of a small collection of artifacts from an anonymous donor. This collection includes numerous projectile points found in Tippecanoe County near Lafayette, Indiana, between 1975 and 1977. The donor was affiliated with Purdue University at the time and was involved in corn research that required traveling the county and surveying fields for weeds, insects and diseases. The collection will be part of a project that maps spatial distributions of point types and raw materials across land forms and regions in Indiana.