26 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 94 



The later Indian tribes employed the engraver's art extensively, al- 

 though it never reached a high degree of excellence north of Mexico, 

 and it is not unreasonable to suppose that it was one of the cultural 

 features in earlier periods. Other peoples in comparable stages of 

 development are know^n to have responded to the creative urge by 

 drawing with stone on bone, and it is not assuming too much to con- 

 cede the ability for delineation to such skilled chippers of " flint " as 

 the Lindenmeier group, particularly since there was so abundant a 

 supply of stone and bone ready at hand. 



The simplest and most numerous gravers consist of fortuitous flakes 

 which were modified only to the extent of chipping a small, sharp 

 point on one side or end (pi. 13, a-g). These short, needlelike points 

 are superficially similar to those commonly classed as drills or borers. 

 They dififer, however, in that one face is flat, while the other has 

 beveled edges and a chisellike tip. The usual drilj points are chipped 

 on all sides. Furthermore, on several of the present examples small, 

 almost microscopic, flakes have been broken away from the point. The 

 appearance of this feature is such as to suggest that it was caused by 

 a scratching or gouging movement of the implement rather than by a 

 rotary twist such as is used in drilling. On only one of the tools in 

 this group is the point long enough to have functioned as an awl. A 

 hole could be punched through a thin hide with it, but its shape is not 

 adapted to even the slight twisting motion ordinarily accompanying 

 such a procedure. The gravers in this group are from 20 to 44 mm 

 long, 18 to 28 mm wide, and 2.$ to 3 mm thick. The points are con- 

 sistently from 1.5 to 2 mm long and i to 1.5' mm wide at the base. 



Some of the gravers are more definitely shaped than the scrap-flake 

 series just described. (See pi. 13, h-j.) They were also made from 

 flakes, but the points are broader, more elongated, have a definite 

 bevel on the tip, and exhibit superior workmanship. The chipping is 

 not confined to the actual point but extends along the edges. The 

 finest specimen in this group is /, plate 13. The tool was made from a 

 flake, but the entire stone was chipped to obtain the desired shape for 

 the implement. Both faces, the lateral surfaces, and the ends received 

 careful attention from the maker. In addition there is a fine marginal 

 retouch along two edges and around the narrow end. The tip of the 

 latter has a pronounced bevel. The entire object is suggestive of 

 modern tools used in lathe work. Perhaps this particular implement 

 should be classed as a chisel rather than a graver, yet it would have 

 functioned well in the latter capacity. As a matter of fact, there is a 

 certain over-lapping of meaning in the terms " chisel " and " graver," 



