194 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [Bull. 189 



Gboup 4 (pi. 23, B) ; 66 specimens. — Side-notched, straight-sided triangular, 

 maximum width at base, straight base, slightly concave or convex bases occur 

 rarely. The notches are at right angles to the long axis and are often very 

 narrow or shallow. 



Length: Mean of 38 mm., ranges from 18 mm. to 58 mm. 



Width: Mean of 17 mm., ranges from 12 mm. to 22 mm. 



Thickness: Mean of 4 mm., ranges from 2 mm. to 6 mm. 

 Miscellaneous (pi. 23, B) ; 8 specimens. — These eight specimens were complete 

 and none of them fit into the four basic groups. One small point is stemmed ; 

 another is corner notched; several have expanded bases; and the remainder 

 are side-notched but of a different pattern than those of group 4. 



MICBOBLADES 



Microblades (pi. 24) are made of small thin flakes of chalcedony, 

 quartzite, chert, jasper, and obsidian. Unlike the microblades from 

 the areas to the Far North, the blades from the Hosterman site were 

 not struck from specially prepared cores, for not one really good core 

 was fomid tliroughout our excavations. Out of the aggregate we 

 separated two groups. Group I are much longer, ranging in length 

 from 25 mm. to 57 mm. Group II are much finer and shorter and 

 range in length from 18 mm. to 38 mm. Both groups are very finely 

 retouched along the edges. Evidently, such small blades must have 

 been inserted into handles of wood, for we found no bone handles that 

 would fit such small flake blades. They were probably used as knives 

 or sickles. 



Two of the lots are bifaced in that they were retouched on both 

 faces. Wliether these are a form of drill, punch, or perforator of 

 some type cannot be determined. 



Others are forms of side scrapers or knives since one or both edges 

 have been very carefully retouched and the very small thin flaking 

 scars indicate that work was performed on these small thin flakes to 

 convert them into workable tools. The initial flakes were not struck 

 from specially prepared cores, for none were found within the area 

 investigated. Apparently, the workmen were skillful chippers, for 

 they were capable of striking off thin flakes from any one core without 

 too much trouble. Not only were they capable of securing thin flakes 

 but they were qualified in casting off flakes of sufficient lengths that 

 could be converted into workable functional tools. If the bulbar end, 

 or the dorsal or underside surface, is placed downward and toward 

 the workers and the worked edge is noted, it will be found that only 

 30 percent of these small tools were retouched in the left edge. 



Many of the flakes, both large and small, show signs of use about 

 one or more edges as though they had been picked up from the scrap 

 heap and used temporarily for scraping or cutting. Once the job 

 was completed or they were too dull to be of further use they were 

 thrown away. 



