By: HERMAN BENDER
A curious discovery during the comprehensive WEPCO cultural landscape survey (1995) in southeastern Wisconsin was the number of remarkable, isolated and lone stone axes discovered while plowing and disking fields. No other artifacts were discovered with them. Each axe, it appeared, had been purposely placed in order to mark a select place, generally a prominence associated with significant landscape feature such as a river headwater, conjunction of two headwater streams or a spring. Most show little to no use, the axes being crafted and then placed (where found) as votive offerings; hence, the lack of wear. All date ca. 3000-1500 BC. Furthermore, there is a native copper component of parallel venerations that appear to have been placed in tandem with and complimenting the stone axe placement at/on select landscape features or locations. Within the same landscape parameters of prominence helping to define a river headwater and/or spring, a lone Manitou stone coupled with a native copper veneration is examined. Although north of the WEPCO survey area, the hilltop venerations are mutually visible and linked with those directly south displaying the same ‘Archaic presence’ and age. Lastly, the much later Woodland copper and water association/tradition manifested by Mishipizheu or Michibichi, variously known as the ‘underwater panther’, Great lynx or ‘horned serpent’ and its metamorphosis 16th to 19th centuries, is also discussed.
