Naub-Cow-Zo-Win Discs from Northern Michigan

Abstract

This paper describes a large collection of small, shale discs recovered from four Late Woodland sites located around the mouth of the Thunder Bay River in Alpena County of northeastern lower Michigan. Many of the discs are incised with symbols which also appear in the rock art of the Canadian shield as well as on Mid?-wi-win scrolls during the nineteenth century. These discs represent the first appearance of several Algonquian symbols in firm prehistoric context. Their very restricted archaeological occurrence suggests that their manufacture and use was short-lived and associated with a specific sacred context. Naub-cow-zo-win is the Ojibwa-Ottawa word for charms of personal significance.

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