Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
Historic Treasure of the Week -
May 19, 2002
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society
No folds made on this map
Have you ever needed to use a map then tried to refold it?
Today’s Historical Treasure is a Native American map. A map rock, to be exact--no folding necessary.
This rock has hills, valleys, bodies of water, rivers and paths on it. The workmanship is amazing. I don’t know how the measuring was done, but I’m sure it is just as accurate as paper maps of the same period.
To use it, all you need is moist earth. You roll the rock in the earth and you have your area map.
When I rolled the rock in moist earth, it made a very good impression. I think I could follow the path if I just knew what area this map represented and whether the hills and other natural formations still exist.
The map rock is virtually indestructible. It wouldn’t be ruined if you were caught in the rain or if you dropped it in a mud puddle.
Most tribes didn’t travel too far away from food and water sources. They needed only one map.
Today, with world travel available, map rocks wouldn’t be too practical. I don’t think the map pockets in the minivan could hold them.
You can find the map rock in the Native American display case on the lower floor of the Vigo County Historical Museum.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. The Web site: http://web.indstate.edu/community/vchs.