holmes] 



ABORIGINAL AMERICAN ANTIQUITIES PART I 



323 



i;C(miliin(vl I'rcs- 



s u V O .-lIKl I'lM-CUS- 



sidiil 



for Iho flakor. This was done when tlio blocks were nearly risht ansloil at 



the corners by striking off the corner where the flaking was to connnence, 



and, with a properly directed blow with a hard pebble stone, knock off of 



the ni)|)er edge a small Hake, niaking a seat for tlie point of llio Uaking 



tool. Sonietini(>s tlicse blows were carried eiilircly aci-oss tlu> frinit npper 



edge of I he block, making a groove entir(>ly aci'oss the edge, when the first 



row of llakcs iiavc* been thrown ol'f. It is the work of this opcM'ator to pre- 



jiare seats for a second row and so on. ^\'llat was meant by alnmst absolute 



science was a knowledge and skill that would give the ]iroper direction to the 



pressure ti> tlnviw <t\T the kind of Hake recpiired. 



Figure '2 represents, as nearly as I recollect, the rude sketches made <»f 

 the flaking tool nsed to thr(»w off massive flakes, when 

 a sndden percussive pressure was retiuired in .addition to 

 the im])ulsive ])ri>ssnre the inan could give. The stafl's of 

 these flaking tools were selected from yomig hardwood 



saplings of vigorous growth. A lower branch was utiliztMl, as shown al (/ in 



figure 2, to form the crotch in which the blow was struck. Another bi'anch 



on the opposite side, a, was used 



to secure a heavy stone to give 



weight and increase the pressure. 



When the stone to be flaked was 



firnUy held, the point adjusted to 



give tlie pressure in the required 



direction. th(> staff firmly grasped, 



the upper end against the chest 



f)f the operator, he woidd throw 



his weight on it in succe.ssive 



thrusts, and if the flake did ■ not 



fly off, a man standing opposite 



would sinudtaneously with the 



thrust give a sharp blow with a 



lieavy club represented in cross 



section h in flgure 2, it being so 



shaped that its force is downward 



close in the crotch. It has been 



rei)i'esenlcd to me that a single 



blow rarely failed to tlirow off 



the flake, frequently the entire 



depth of the block of stone, 



sonu'times as much as 10 or 12 



inches. The tooth or tusk of the walrus was highly prized for the tips of the 



flakers.' 



Figure 182 shows the two implements described by Catliii nnd 

 illustrated by Sellers, and also the fiiiiire of a workman using one of 

 the implements in the manner described. This figure presents e<iually 

 well the method of making obsidian knives by the Aztecs, as de- 

 scribed by Torquemada : 



They had, and still have, workmen who make knives of a certain black 

 stone or flint, which it is a most wonderful and admirable 

 [Aztoc Mothod] thing to se*^ tluMU make out of the stone; and the in- 



genuity which invented this art is much to be praised. They 



Fig. 182. Method of n.ikins by :\rrxi(an In- 

 dians as di'scribod liy Torqui'iiiadn. and by 

 wostern llnitod States tribes as desrribed by 

 Catlin. 



Sellers, Oliservntlons on Stone-eliinpinff, pp. 874-875. 



