NO.    I  ARCHEOLOGY    OF    ST.    LAWRENCE    ISLAND COLLINS  I  55 
same  function  should  probably  be  assigned  to  plate  43,  figure  8,  for 
the  surface  is  slightly  concave.  One  edge  is  also  smoothed.  The  ma- 
terial is  a  fine  grained  sandstone. 
Plate  43,  figure  9,  is  a  small  rectangular  piece  of  sandstone  with  the 
sides,  edges,  and  one  end  smoothed;  the  opposite  end  is  broken. 
Plate  43,  figure  10,  is  a  slab  of  diorite  which  has  evidently  been  used 
as  a  whetstone  to  judge  from  the  slightly  concave  rubbing  surface. 
The  opposite  side  has  also  been  rubbed  to  a  slight  extent. 
The  two  pieces  of  scoria  shown  in  plate  43,  figures  11  and  12,  were 
no  doubt  used  for  rubbing  skins.  The  first  is  wedge-shaped,  with  the 
thicker  end  (below)  rounded  off.  Figure  12  has  been  worked  on  all 
surfaces  except  the  upper  end.  Even  the  edges,  which  have  a  breadth 
of  2.4  to  2.7  cm,  have  been  rubbed  flat. 
Plate  43.  figure  13,  is  a  small  beach  boulder  of  basalt,  unworked 
except  for  a  small  flattening  of  the  lower  end,  produced  by  rubbing. 
A  shallow  depression  just  below  the  center  and  two  similar  ones  on 
the  opposite  side  allowed  a  firm  grip. 
The  flat  beach  boulder  of  diabase  shown  in  plate  43,  figure  14,  was 
probably  used  as  a  hammer  stone ;  the  lower  end  is  broken.  Finger 
grips  have  been  pecked  in  on  both  sides  near  the  upper  rounded  edge, 
and  smaller  pitted  areas  occur  lower  down.  The  upper  edge  and  parts 
of  the  lateral  edges  show  slight  signs  of  wear;  there  is  also  a  small 
notch  on  one  edge  opposite  the  finger  grip. 
Sledges,  Boats,  Etc. 
It  is  a  point  of  considerable  importance  that  at  the  four  oldest 
Gambell  sites  no  objects  were  found  which  could  be  recognized  as 
having  been  used  in  connection  with  the  modern  type  of  dog  sledge — 
no  flat  bone  shoes  for  the  built-up  sledge,  no  trace  buckles,  swivels, 
or  ferules  for  whip  handles.  As  we  shall  see  later,  such  objects  are 
not  found  at  any  of  the  older  Alaskan  sites,  although  they  are  common 
at  the  late  prehistoric  and  modern  sites.  If  we  may  judge  from  the 
Gambell  finds,  the  sledge  of  the  Old  Bering  Sea  Eskimos,  was  very 
similar  to  the  short  low  type  with  heavy  ivory  runners  such  as  is  still 
used  on  St.  Lawrence  Island  and  at  Point  Barrow  for  hauling  umiaks 
and  loads  uf  blubber  and  meat  over  the  ice  (Nelson,  1899,  pi.  76,  fig.  1  ; 
Alurdoch,  1892,  p.  358). 
Sledge  runners. — Six  ivory  sledge  runners  were  found  at  the  Hill- 
side site,  five  of  which  are  shown  on  plate  44.  They  are  of  two  dis- 
tinctive types.  Type  i,  illustrated  by  plate  44,  figures  3,  4,  5,  is  a 
heavy  runner  made  from  a  walrus  tusk  which  was  but  little  modified. 
