HSDLicKA] STONE INDUSTRIES OF THE AEGENTINE COAST 



143 



of sandstone, the surface being rather unevenly ground off. An 

 engraved design appears on the lower part of the blade, as shown in 

 figure 38. Axes of this general type prevail over a wide area in 

 South America and extend even into the West Indies. The rather 

 dull edge bears slight traces of use, but the presence of the orna- 

 mental figure suggests employment in some ceremonial office. 



Fig. 35. Mortars of sandstone, (i actual size.) a, San Bias district. 6, Viedma. 



There is a noteworthy scarcity of chipped pebbles of the type 

 found in so great abundance up the coast, but this is probably due 

 in large part to the fact that the district does not furnish the variety 

 of pebbles so much sought and used in the north. Half a dozen 

 anvil-fractured specimens were found near Viedma and 4 miles 

 south of that place were collected on a site occupied m recent times 

 by the natives, two pitted and scarred hammer- anvils, one of which 

 has been used as a muller (fig. 39). The white quartzite of the north 



Fig. 36. Mullers. (^ actual size.) a, Granite, well polished. (Viedma.) 6, Sandstone. (San Bias 



District. ) 



is absent. The chipped forms are distmct in a number of respects 

 from both the pebble and the white quartzite implements of the north- 

 ern area. They consist of projectile points, knives, drills, and 

 scrapers, together with unspecialized leaf-shaped blades and the 

 reject age of blade-making. The material was obtained in the main 

 from rather large water- w^orn pieces of jasper and other free-fracturing 

 rocks and was rough-shaped by free-hand percussion with a hammer- 



