Logo Soapstone Ridge, near Panola, GA
All Text & Images:
Copyright (2014)

Soapstone Ridge is an area of approx. 25 square miles SE of Atlanta.   It was the site of numerous Native American quarries
and workshops, producing bowls and other wares that were traded throughout the present USA.   The workers first girdled
a section of a boulder, broke it from the parent rock, and then hollowed out the removed core.   This stoneware production
dates to the Late Archaic Period (5000-3000 years ago), prior to the development of pottery.   I located one of the quarry -
workshop sites near Fork Creek Mtn, finding five large steatite boulders containing evidence of bowl manufacture.



~ Boulder 1 ~
This boulder contains many preforms and scars from removed bowls.


Boulder_1_with_bowl_scars




Boulder_1



Bowl_scar



Boulder_1



Boulder_1



Boulder_1-detached_preform
Detached preform



~ Boulder 2 ~

Boulder_2
This boulder exhibits several planned bowls that were in the very initial stage of manufacture.



~ Boulder 3 ~

Boulder_3



Boulder_3_preform
This preform had been worked considerably before being abandoned.


Boulder_3_preform
The preform from another angle.



~ Boulder 4 ~

Boulder_4



Boulder_4_scar
Preform removal scar


Boulder_4_preform
Another detached preform



~ Boulder 5 ~

Boulder_5
Partially worked preform



Click here for a display of the soapstone bowl production process.



Soapstone Quarry Index Native American Index SE USA Index
All Text & Images: Copyright 2014.