Soapstone
Soapstone,
also known as steatite, is a metamorphic rock . It tends to
be a very soft rock, and is therefore easily worked into forms
such as bowls, pipes, or figurines. Many Native Americans once
used soapstone to make cooking vessels because of the ease in
carving and the fact that it holds heat well. This occurred
primarily during the Late Archaic period, between 3000 and 5000
years ago. Soapstone was a very important commodity. Soapstone
pots were traded far from their origins. The manufacture and
trade of soapstone objects was probably the first industry in
the southeast! In many parts of the world, including Brazil,
soapstone cookware is widely used because of it's unique qualities.
Soapstone has also been used for foot and bed warmers before
there was central heating, and continues to be used for carving
of artistic objects, fireplaces, kitchen coutertops and many
other items. Some of the same outcrops have thus been quarried
by people on and off for as much as 5000 years!
Please note that there are two different kinds of stone, popularly
called soapstone; Talc, which is a softer stone, used for carvings,
and Steatite, wich is harder than Talc, used for countertops,
fireplaces, ovens and etc. Brazilian Soapstone for carving(Talc)
is known to be the preferred carving stone of the Inuit(Eskimos),
because of it's unique patterns, colors and softness.
