304 BUREAU OF AMERICA:^ ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 182 



Their distribution seems to be limited to the western portion of the United States 

 and Canada. 



At that time, it probably was true, for that is the only place they 

 had been found, but this situation no longer exists as they have been 

 reported from many sections east of the Mississippi River and along 

 the Atlantic coastline. The distributional statement will now have 

 to be modified as the present finds, coming from eroded surfaces of 

 sites, have been definitely found outside of the range as specified. 

 Similar artifacts have probably been seen by both professional and 

 amateur collectors in the past, but not being acquainted with this form 

 of artifact they were either discarded as artifacts or disregarded. 

 Now that these artifacts have been reported as coming from the East, 

 it is likely that additional information will be forthcoming indicating 

 their distributional pattern. 



There are various types of scrapers represented in the collection : 

 snub-nosed, thumbnail, and side-scrapers. The only difference be- 

 tween the snub-nosed and the thumbnail is size. In actual shape, 

 technique of fashioning, and use they are identical. These types are 

 all Folsom complex adjuncts, but they must not be confused as belong- 

 ing exclusively to that cultural complex. Such forms are timeless, for 

 they have been recovered from sites in the Plains which are proto- 

 historic, as well as from those assigned to an early period. 



We have encountered considerable variation in the overall general 

 shape of the snub-nosed scrapers; some are roughly rectangular in 

 outline while others are roughly modified ovoids. Some have flat 

 bases, others are concave depending upon the type of flake and the 

 size of the nodule or core from which the flake was initially struck, 

 while others are slightly convex. The conchoidal fracture is still very 

 evident on some but on others this feature is missing. Some still 

 retain portions of the original siliceous crust or outer coat of the 

 nodule from which the flake was struck, while others appear to be the 

 hasty handiwork of the maker, and some are very carefully fashioned, 

 indicating considerable attention was given the styling of the tool. 



One side-scraper with a concave cutting edge appears to be similar 

 to one illustrated by Roberts (1935 e) with the exception that the 

 Virginia specimen is somewhat smaller. This specimen, fashioned 

 from a fortuitous chip — the narrow portion still retaining a part of 

 the original siliceous crust — is of yellow jasper and possesses two con- 

 cave cutting surfaces on the same side. Opposing these is an edge 

 having a double beveled effect. 



Scrapers range in length from 2.9 cm. to 6.7 cm. and in width from 

 1.7 cm. to 3.9 cm., while thickness depends entirely upon the original 

 thickness of the flake from which they were made. 



