What is soapstone?
Soapstone, also known as steatite, is a metamorphic
rock, generally a talc schist. It can contain a variety of other minerals,
including chlorite and amphiboles such as anthophyllite. It tends to be
a very soft rock, and is therefore easily worked into forms such as bowls,
pipes, or figurines. Many Native Americans once used soapstone to make
cooking vessels because of the ease in carving and the fact that it holds
heat well. This occurred primarily during the Late Archaic period, between
3000 and 5000 years ago. One drawback to using soapstone is that is a very
dense rock, and so large bowls are quite heavy. In spite of this, soapstone
was a very important commodity. Soapstone pots were traded far from their
origins. The manufacture and trade of soapstone objects was probably the
first industry in the southeast!
Soapstone has also been used for foot and
bed warmers before there was central heating, and continues to be used
for carving of artistic objects. Some of the same outcrops have thus
been quarried by people on and off for as much as 5000 years!
As time permits, I will add more information
to this page.
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Geology links
Anthropology links
Bluerock
Soapstone Quarry, Yancey, County, NC
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last modified 19 October
1997
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