artifacts enquiry

[Rankin, Robert L]

<italic>Recently a friend of mine in the antique arms and armour trade
showed me a war club which was said to be a "Delaware Battle Axe.  Western
Plains".  I didn't know there were any Delawares in the Western Plains, but
anyway it had on it the inscription ONESHONRONEAH. This looked more like
Iroquois than anything else to me.

The Delawares were deported from their homes in the East during the Andrew
Jackson presidency (1830's), first to N.E. Kansas, then N.E. Oklahoma. My
present home is build on acreage from the old Delaware Reservation in
Kansas. Hardly "western plains" by any definition. I agree it looks more
Iroquoian with the -nron- cluster, etc. If it is, then Blair Rudes can
probably place it for you. For the Delaware language, the person to ask
would be Ives Goddard at the Smithsonian Institution
<Goddard.Ives at NMNH.si.edu>.

Bob