172 THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



occasionally found with one edge showing the effect of rubbing and wearing. 

 These are rare, however. Some may have been pottery smoothers. Clam 

 shells have been reported which contained central perforations and were 

 identical in appearance with some shell pottery scrapers and smoothers col- 

 lected by Mr. M. R. Harrington among the Catawba. Contemporary 

 A\riters mention the use of knives made of shell. 



Pottery Tempering. This was sometimes done with calcined and pounded 

 shells, but was uncommon, considering the abundance of the material at 

 hand. Pounded stone or gravel seems to have been more favored. 



Pottery Stamps. The corrugated edge of a scallop shell was frccjuently 

 used as a stamp for {)ottcry, as may be seen by examining the potsherds 

 from this region. 



Articles of Bone and Antler. 



Objects of bone and antler, while perliaps more abundant here than in 

 New England, are far less plentiful in form and number than in the Iro- 

 ([uoian area. Cut bones are frequent in most shell ])its and heaps. They 

 were cut by grooving the bone partly through on all sides, probably with a 

 flint knife, and breaking. 



Bone Awls. These utensils are the most common of all bone articles 

 in this region and are found in almost every part of the area. Some are 

 merely sharpened slivers, but others show a considerable degree of work, 

 jtnd are well finished and polished. They are usually made of deer or other 

 mammal bone, but sometimes from the leg bones of birds. 



In some instances, the joint of the bone is left for a handle, l)ut this is 

 often cut off. Grooved, perforated or decorated bone awls are extremely 

 lare in this region. While it is generally considered that these bone tools 

 ^vere used as awls in sewing leather, as by modern shoemakers, nevertheless, 

 I hey may have served as forks in removing hot morsels from the pot or for a 

 number of other purposes. The latter supposition is supported by the 

 abundance of bone awls found in some shell pits. The northern Cree of 

 the Hudson Bay region use a similar bone implement as the catching or 

 striking pin in the "cup and ball" game. 



Bone Needles. These are rare, but found in most localities. They are 

 generally made of the curved ribs of mammals and are six or eight inches 

 long, or even longer. They are generally broken across the eye, which is 

 usually midway between the ends. A few with the perforation at one end 

 have been reported. 



Bone Arrow Points, usually hollow and conical in shape, have been found, 



