Document Type
Article
Abstract
The passage of the Hernando de Soto expedition (1539-1543) though the southeastern United States resulted in a scatter of artifacts distributed along the route. These materials were gifted or traded to, or taken by Native Americans, or were simply lost as Soto and his company moved from place to place. Perishable items such as clothing, fabrics, and wooden objects disappeared long ago. Non-perishable items such as weaponry, chainmail, coins, nails, bells, and a wide array of other metal objects have been recovered by both avocational and professional archaeologists at scattered sites along the route. One class of non-perishable artifact associated with the Soto expedition that has not been widely recognized is iron chain. Written accounts indicate that iron chain was likely carried by each of the approximately 620 men on the expedition. The primary purpose of this chain was to restrain captives and slaves who were needed to carry goods and supplies. The abundance and importance of chain to the Soto expedition has not been previously recognized. This paper discusses what is known about this Spanish chain from written expedition accounts and provides details on the search for and recovery of chain from archaeological sites in Mississippi and elsewhere.
Publication Info
Published in Mississippi Archaeology, Volume 55, Issue 1 and 2, 2023.