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Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center / Past Cultures

Artifacts

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Copper Serpent

Copper Serpent This unusual serpent pendent was found in the early 2000s during excavations at the Sanford Archaeological District in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is made of sheet copper hammered to a thickness of only .6 mm. The overall piece is 26.5 mm long and 3.2 mm wide (about 1 inch by 1/8 inch). The copper was formed into a sinuous shape that comes to a rounded tip on the tail end and a larger rounded head on the other. It does not have a suspension hole or any indication of wear from having a thong wrapped around it.  It was found in a feature that appeared to be a natural ravine filled with site refuse.

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MVAC Educational Programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities. This project was supported in part by the National Science Foundation. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.