56 BULLETIN 18 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



possible uses of arclieological specimens of this nature, it is well to 

 bear in mind that at the Renner site no recognizable agricultural or 

 digging tools of bone, horn, or shell were recovered. At the same 

 time, the finding of charred corn suggests a measure of reliance on 

 cultivated plants and implies some familiarity with a hoe or spade. 

 Likewise, the numerous old cache pits must have been dug with the 

 aid of something more substantial than the bare hands. The three 

 artifacts just described, especially if attached to handles, would have 

 fulfilled all requirements for soil-turning implements. 



Of somewhat different character is the blade shown in plate 17, e. 

 This is of mottled gray chert and measures 124 by 60 mm. The 

 flaking as well as retouching of the edges is generally quite well done. 

 There is little or no evidence of wear. A cache blade or blank is 

 suggested, or perhaps a little-used knife. 



Chisellike forms included four specimens (pi. 17, a-d^. The 

 largest, a, from pit 12, is 141 mm. long. It has a very dark gray sur- 

 face color, which is almost black at the larger end. Accidental re- 

 moval of several small flakes along this edge shows that the black is 

 superficial, the true color of the material being a light pink. The 

 piece is very coarsely chipped, with a thick double-convex cross sec- 

 tion. The upper and narrower end is broken but discolored like the 

 surface generally. The other three specimens illustrated, 6, c, f/, vary 

 in details, but all have one end flaked off to a more or less squared 

 wedgelike form. They are rudely chipped but are heavy enough to 

 have withstood considerable rough usage. Of the group, only a shows 

 any degree of polish ; none has the battered bit one might expect if 

 they had been used in a fashion similar to a modern chisel. Still, if 

 used against such substances as wood, perhaps breakage was relatively 

 uncommon. 



Among the finished artifacts of unknown function may be included 

 the somewhat varied series in plate 18; a and 6 more particularly 

 are representative of a small group in which specimens have one face 

 flattened, the other markedly convex, but both chipped. In all cases 

 the flattened surface has been beveled off at the wider end, with a 

 curved cutting edge resulting where the plane of beveling intersects 

 the convex back. Along the converging sides and the narrowed butt 

 the secondary marginal chipping has been worn or ground down to a 

 marked degree. If we assume that these objects were hafted, the 

 edges may have been deliberately blunted to prevent their cutting the 

 lashings which secured the blade to the handle. In h the chipped 

 cutting edge is at the narrow end, but the remaining margin is again 

 ground down. This specimen lacks the planoconvex form and is not 

 beveled. Perhaps all may be regarded as adz blades designed for 

 hafting. 



