Implements and Artefacts of the North-east Greenlanders. 



473 



of oval boxes of which the bottoms were found ; it was also used 

 for bows, (cf. p. 40304), and numerous strips were found which 

 had been split off to the breadth of thongs or as fine thread. 



Fig. 57 shows three narrow thongs made of whalebone, tied 

 together in different ways. The one marked a (L. 3137) which had 

 been placed under one of the stones round tent 73 at Sytten- 

 kilomelernaesset, is tied in a single knot; b (L. 3695) from 

 the camping ground on the east shore of Stormbugt, is knotted 

 up in a running noose which can be drawn tight by the end 

 shown farthest to the left in the figure; c (L. 3721) 

 from the same camping ground, consists of two 

 parts; the one with its end turned upwards forms 

 a noose round the one below. 



Whalebone has probably been used in several 

 cases for other implements, but being a perish- 

 able material, .only few of these have been found 

 in a state of preservation. Two such pieces, both 

 from house 131 on Renskaeret, are shown in 

 Fig. 58. Of these, a (L. 3442) is knife-shaped, 

 measuring now 13*8 cm. long, but lacking the 

 point; one edge, viz. the back, is straight, the 

 other curved. At the bottom of the back there 

 is a notch, a little farther up on the opposite 

 edge a hole. Specimen b (L. 3438) is 18 cm. long, 

 narrow, only 1-2 cm. across, the hinder end 

 frayed and apparently defective, the fore end ^ 5g 



terminating in a point with two barbs. 



At the same settlement, a piece of whalebone (L. 3604) 50 cm. 

 long, up to 2'8 cm. broad, was found with two holes drilled close 

 together 7 cm. from one end, so as to form an oblong slit. It would 

 seem as if the Eskimos at Renskseret had cherished a particular 

 affection for whalebone as a material; it is here that three out of 

 the four bow pieces were found, as described in the foregoing; 

 the fourth was from Maroussia. 



