NO.    I  ARCHEOLOGY    OF    ST.    LAWRENCE    ISLAND — COLLINS  223 
the  three  later  sites;  the  others,  hke  plate  74,  figure  12  (Sek.,  cut  8, 
60  in.)  are  constricted  at  the  lower  end,  producing  the  ovoid  shape 
which  still  prevails  on  St.  Lawrence  Island  (Nelson,  pi.  61,  c,  fig.  2). 
Four  other  specimens  of  this  type  come  from  Seklowaghyaget,  depth 
44  inches,  the  old  section  of  Gambell,  depth  24  inches  (2),  and  house 
no.  10. 
In  keeping  with  the  large  number  of  arrowheads  from  the  Punuk 
sites  are  two  other  implements,  bone  bow  braces  and  sinew  twisters, 
which  were  found  in  considerable  numbers  and  which  afiford  definite 
evidence  of  the  use  of  the  sinew-backed  bow  during  this  period. 
Bow  braces. — These  are  of  two  kinds :  flat,  short,  narrow  strips  of 
bone  which  were  placed  at  the  center  of  the  bow  beneath  the  sinew 
reinforcement  on  the  outer  side;  and  similar  strips,  but  curved,  for 
strengthening  the  bow  at  its  most  vulnerable  point,  that  is,  at  the 
recurved  ends.  Plate  74,  figure  16  (lev.,  cut  6,  depth  5  in.),  is  one 
of  the  flat  braces  for  the  center;  others  range  from  7  to  13.5  cm  in 
length.  Figures  17  and  18  are  two  braces  for  the  backward  curving 
ends;  figure  17  (old  section  of  Gambell,  cut  i,  8  in.),  the  more  com- 
mon type,  has  a  shallow  longitudinal  groove  on  the  concave  side  and 
was  placed  on  the  outside,  in  the  bend,  beneath  the  sinew  cable ;  figure 
18  (lev.,  cut  8,  44  in.),  with  a  rather  deep  groove  down  its  convex 
side,  was  fastened  to  the  inner  side.  All  three  of  the  above  types  are 
found  on  modern  Alaskan  bows. 
In  all  21  bow  braces,  including  the  three  illustrated,  were  found  at 
Gambell,  as  follows : 
From  the  Hillside  site  and  Miyowagh,  none;  from  levoghiyoq,  13, 
from  the  following  depths  :  5  inches  (2),  9  inches,  12  inches,  24  inches 
(3),  28  inches,  33  inches,  36  inches,  44  inches,  unknown  (2)  ;  from 
Seklowaghyaget,  3,  as  follows:  18  inches,  19  inches,  22  inches;  from 
the  old  section  of  Gambell,  5,  as  follows:  8  inches  (3),  10  inches, 
32  inches. 
Sinew  twisters. — Plate  74,  figures  19,  20,  are  sinew  twisters — 
slender  bone  rods  with  opposite  curved  ends,  used  for  tightening 
the  sinew  cables  on  the  backs  of  the  bows  (Murdoch,  1892,  pp.  315- 
316).  They  are  somewhat  thicker  and  more  curved  than  the  modern 
examples. 
Sinew  twisters  were  found  only  at  Miyowagh  and  levoghiyoq. 
From  Miyowagh  there  were  four,  as  follows:  Cut  4,  25  inches,  of 
bone;  61  inches,  of  ivory;  cut  17,  28  inches,  of  wood;  cut  27,  29 
inches,  of  ivory.  From  levoghiyoq  there  are  10  examples,  all  of 
bone,  as  follows:  5  inches,  9  inches,  12  inches  (2),  18  inches  (pi. 
74,  fig.  20),  25  inches  (2),  28  inches,  31  inches  (pi.  74,  fig.  19), 
42  inches. 
