Steatite quarries of northeastern Maryland and southeastern Pennsylvania: an analysis of quarrying technology

Steatite (or soapstone) outcrops in northeastern Maryland and southeastern Pennsylvania were intensively utilized during portions of the Late Archaic period (ca. 1900 B.C.- 1200 B . C . ), as sources of raw material for the manufacture of carved stone bowls. A recent program of quarry surveys and analysis of existing artifact collections clarify the technical details of raw material extraction, manufacturing technique, and tool assemblages for raw material extraction at each quarry site. Comparative analysis among the quarries highlights the effect of variable raw material form on extractive and manufacturing technologies. In addition, analysis of these steatite quarries and related sites suggests new perspectives on regional patterns of steatite utilization and exchange.