NO. 4 SAN JON DISTRICT, NKW MEXICO ROBERTS 1 3 



pressure method, the fine flaking producing sharp scraping surfaces. 

 The smaller end, which on most examples still shows the bulb of 

 percussion produced when the flake was struck from the original 

 nodule, rarely has any flaking. An exceptional specimen is shown 

 in plate 4, k, where the smaller end was given a concave edge of the 

 form that was used for scraping and smoothing arrow shafts. No 

 examples were found with a small, sharp point for perforating or 

 graving purposes. In some localities these are a fairly common feature 

 on snub-nosed scrapers and may occur at various places on the 

 implement. In some cases they are at one of the corners formed by 

 the convex end and one edge, occasionally they may be noted at both 

 corners, or they may be along one of the edges or at the small end. 

 Whether the absence of the feature from the San Jon examples is 

 purely coincidence in that specimens bearing it just weren't found 

 or is a matter of significance is not known at present. Taken as a 

 group or singly, there is nothing to distinguish the scrapers in this 

 series from similar forms found elsewhere in either Plains or Pueblo 

 sites and they cannot be considered as a criterion for cultural or 

 period identification. They apparently were concomitant with hunting 

 among most Indian groups. 



Side scrapers of simple form were common (pis. 5, 6). They 

 were made from flakes of various sizes and shapes and in most cases 

 exhibit a minimum of flaking, except along the functioning edge 

 which was given a low-angled bevel. A few specimens have a fine, 

 secondary flaking or retouch along the working edge, but for the 

 most part the regular flaking seems to have been sufficient and there 

 are examples where it occurs on only a portion of the edge. As a 

 matter of fact numerous sharp flakes undoubtedly were used as 

 scrapers without any attempt being made to better the edges through 

 the flaking process.* This is particularly true of various quartzite 

 forms occurring in abundance at the places where the other types 

 were found. Such flakes break away from a core or nucleus with 

 a fine, straight edge that will stand considerable abuse before being 

 dulled to the extent that it is no longer efficient. While such imple- 

 ments are in use, small flakes are generally knocked ofif the edge. 

 This is a good criterion for identifying utilized flakes. Numerous 

 examples in the collection show this feature. A large majority of 

 the working edges are convex, only a few are straight, concave forms 

 are rare, and there is no example of a double-edged tool in this series. 



* Flakes found in association with the San Jon and Yuma points belong in 

 this category. 



