The MPM Aztalan Collection
The Aztalan collection of the Milwaukee Public Museum is composed of over 3600 archaeological artifacts primarily excavated and collected by Dr. Samuel A. Barrett in the field seasons of 1919, 1920, and 1932. This collection is the largest assemblage of cultural remains from a single North American archaeological site in the Milwaukee Public Museum.
The bulk of the collection consists of prehistoric pottery sherds and stone tools from the Late Woodland period (A.D. 700- A.D. 1150) through the Mississippian period (A.D. 1000- A.D.1250). The artifacts include pottery (rimsherds, and reconstructed vessels of all shapes and sizes), human remains; animal remains; and animal bone and antlers fashioned into tools and ornaments; copper awls and knives; rolled copper beads and earring maskettes; shell beads and ornaments; projectile points; and other stone tools such as scrapers, knives, gardening hoes, awls, drills, hammer stones, pestles, and ear spools; wooden stockade remains; and "Aztalan brick," the burned wattle and daub plaster remains of the stockade. Other stone material includes hundreds of pieces of stone tool production debitage, chunkey stone gaming pieces, numerous ground stone axes, and stone celts, abrader stones, and paint stones. There is also a large collection of excavation photographs and site excavation maps and profiles. See below for examples from the collection.
Figure 22. Aztalan Stone Axes - Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM Photo Collection # 70544
Figure 23. Ceramic Gourd Shaped Container - Aztalan - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM PhotoCollection # 70119
Figure 24. Shell Hoes - Aztalan - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM Photo Collection # 7071
Figure 25. Aztalan Woodland and Mississippian Pottery Sherds - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM Photo Collection # 7067
Figure 26. Aztalan Awls - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM Photo Collection # 166819
Figure 27. Aztalan Pottery Shapers - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM Photo Collection
Figure 28. Reconstructed Aztalan Collared Ware Pottery - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM Photo Collection # 166826
Figure 29. Excavated Aztalan Stockade Post - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavation Photos
MPM Photo Collection # 60473
Figure 30. Mississippian Ramey Incised Pottery Sherd - Aztalan - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM Photo Collection # 410541
Figure 31. Late Woodland Collared Pottery Sherd - Aztalan
MPM Photo Collection # 410467
Figure 32. Stone Drills - Aztalan - Dr. Samuel A. Barrett Excavations
MPM Photo Collection # 70543
Figure 33. Restored Pottery vessel, MPM Photo Collection #70138