pIT' ^o' Isf' HOSTERMAN SITE — MILLER 217 



tool (pi. 36, ^), prepared from a bison's scapula, shows considerable 

 wear in that the surfaces as well as the bordering edges were polished. 

 It measures 9.8 cm. across the base ; the lateral sides are 16.4 cm. long, 

 and the tapering sides average around 11.1 cm. in length. Both 

 the tapering sides as well as the lateral edges show that they have 

 received considerable wear. On both faces, bordering the sharp 

 working edge, are series of thin shallow scratches running almost the 

 entire length of the implement. Superimposed over these, on one 

 face, is a roughly ovoid area that is highly polished, a gloss resulting 

 from long-continued use. This ovoid area measures roughly 6.5 cm. 

 in length and 4.0 cm. in width, and is located 3.3 cm. from the base 

 of the implement; it was probably the position of the thumb while 

 the tool was in use. It is definite that this was never used to dig 

 into the soil, for the edges of this thin object could not have with- 

 stood such use. Its actual use cannot be determined. Similar ob- 

 jects have not been reported from this section of South Dakota. 



Bone tubes. — Twenty-eight bone tubes of various lengths were 

 recovered from the Hosterman site. Out of this number only one was 

 fragmentary. Fourteen were made from cylindrical sections of bird 

 bones. Most of them had their cut edges polished and smoothed, 

 but few of them were completely polished. They ranged in length 

 from 28 mm. to 119 nun. (pi. 33, ^ ) . The other 14 were from sections 

 of mammal bones, and practically all of them had their cut surfaces 

 smoothed and had developed a good polish. None of the bone tubes 

 were decorated in any way. The lengths ranged from 56 mm. to 

 128 mm. 



On the basis of lengths, the bone tubes were separated into three 

 groups : 



Group 1, 5 specimens : 



Lengths: Range from 28 mm. to 49 mm., mean of 38 mm. 

 Group 2, 15 specimens : 



Lengths: Range from 53 mm. to 94 mm., mean of 73 mm. 

 Group 3, 7 specimens : 



Lengths: Range from 102 mm. to 128 mm., mean of 115 mm. 



Bone awls. — Various types of bone awls are present at the Hoster- 

 man site (pi. 37, J. ) . One of the prevalent types comprises those made 

 from split deer or prongliom metapodidl bones with split distal ends 

 forming the butt. The spit surfaces on most of the specimens were 

 ground and smoothed and the cancellous material removed, leaving 

 a U-shaped shaft to the tool. Both the shaft portion and the articu- 

 lative surface had acquired a high polish through heavy use. Lengths 

 varied from 58 mm. to 100 mm. This group easily falls within the 

 limits of similar awls reported from the Dodd site, and Swan Creek 

 site, and is ubiquitous in the Plains. Nineteen specimens are repre- 

 sented. 



