There are many ways to learn about the lives of prehistoric people – from looking at the tools they used, the foods they ate, the structures they lived in or the art they created. The Indiana State Museum has been lucky 
enough to acquire two effigy bowls that give curators a unique peek into the lives of prehistoric Hoosiers.
“One of the really interesting things about these bowls is that they’re not just functional, but also artistic," said Rex Garniewicz, Curator of Prehistoric Archaeology. "A lot of the tools that we find are utilitarian in nature – stone tools in particular don’t tend to be decorative. But ceramics allow for more opportunity to express creativity and individuality.”
These particular bowls were used by Caborn-Welborn people 600 to 700 years ago for serving food. The attached effigies served as handles for the bowls. What makes them so interesting is that these are not your ordinary pot-handles, but carefully sculpted images of a turkey-vulture and a woodduck.
“We don’t know why they chose these specific animals for the bowls – what’s the significance to them?” Garniewicz asks. “This is one of the questions we want to answer through research. We see a lot of effigies on bowls like this – many are animals associated with water, such as ducks, fish, frogs and turtles. Also included are dogs, bears and people. It gives us a more vivid picture of what prehistoric people were thinking and what things were important to them.”
The bowls come from the Bone Bank site, which was the first recorded archaeological dig in the state. Located in southwestern Indiana, the site was first discovered in 1807 by a surveyor for the U.S. land office and first excavated in 1828 by Charles Alexander Leseur. The site, which consisted of a prehistoric cemetery and living areas, was called Bone Bank because its location on the Wabash River was gradually being eroded, exposing bones and other artifacts. 
By the time the museum's effigy bowls were collected, the habitation area was being eroded as well. Because these bowls are from living areas rather than burial areas, the museum can display these items without offending Native Americans whose ancestors were buried at this site.
The site produced many important artifacts, some of which are part of the collection at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. The entire site has been eroded away by now – it is no longer possible to return to Bone Bank and do any more excavation.
These bowls have been well-traveled over the years. First discovered by a farmer on the Bone Bank site, they were sold to collector Charles Thompson in 1937. Upon his death, he left them to his son, Ben, who in turn sold them to a collector in Illinois, where they have remained until the Indiana State Museum was able to acquire them.
Thanks to Garniewicz’s effort in acquiring the bowls, the museum has brought them back home to Indiana for the first time in more than 60 years.
“These are important pieces to have in our collection,” Garniewicz says. “Since the Bone Bank site has completely washed away, and the museum has few complete examples of prehistoric pottery, these bowls are an excellent addition. They will help visitors be better able to visualize the reality of prehistoric civilizations.”