E d 
presenn ARCHEOLOGY IN BRITISH GUIANA Sl 
STONE ARTIFACT TYPES 
Forty-six stone artifacts and 69 flakes were collected from sites of 
the Mabaruma Phase. 
Celts, polished (fig. 26) —Celts are rectanguloid and well polished 
with a sharp bit. The butt end is sometimes battered from use as 
a hammerstone. The majority of the fragments are small, but the 
larger ones suggest reconstruction of dimensions as 10.0 to 21.5 cm. in 
length, 5.0 to 6.5 em. in width, and 2.0 to 3.5 em. in thickness. The 
butt and the bit are slightly tapered so that they measure only 3.0 
to 4.0 cm. in width. Rock material includes extremely fine-grained 
micaceous schist, quartzite, and andesite. 
Choppers (fig. 27, a-b).—Blunt-edged tools that appear to have 
been used in pounding or chopping were roughly shaped from cobbles 
by percussion blows. They fit easily into the hand. Size appears to 
be controlled by the dimensions of the original cobble or fragments of 
rock. ‘The tools measure 6 to 12 cm. long, 4 to 6 cm. wide, and 2 to 
3 cm. thick. The large percussion flakes struck off to give the tool 
its rough shape measure from 2 to 3 cm. in diameter and have a clearly 
marked bulb of percussion. All the choppers were made from ex- 
tremely fine-grained micaceous schist. 
Flake blades or knives (fig. 28, a-b).—Flakes struck off by percus- 
sion from quartzite, fine-grained micaceous schist, quartz or felsite 
have had the thin edge opposite the bulb of percussion shaped for 
use as a blade or knife. In most cases, the thin cutting edge has been 
rubbed and abraded; occasionally the edge was slightly reworked by 
percussion chipping. The form is irregular. Although the tool size 
varies according to the size of the percussion-struck flake, the majority 
are 3.0 to 4.0 cm. by 4.0 to 6.5 cm., by. 0.5 to 1.5 cm. thick. 
Tlammerstones (fig. 27, c-d).—Tools classified as hammerstones 
were made from either cobbles of quartzite or roughly shaped pieces 
of fine-grained micaceous schist. One or more places on the surface 
show heavy battering, which is easily distinguished from the natural 
waterworn surface or the freshly fractured, percussion-struck areas. 
The battered area ranges from a small circle 1 cm. in diameter on the 
end to a broad area 3 to 5 cm. long on the edge. The size of the 
hammerstones varies considerably, ranging from 2.5 by 5.0 by 3.0 cm. 
to 2.5 by 5.5 by 6.0 cm. 
Hoes (fig. 28, c).—Five fine-grained micaceous-schist fragments 
have been classified as hoes because they have a polish on highly 
irregular surfaces that can be obtained only by extensive digging in 
the ground. These stone artifacts show less shaping than any of 
the other stone tools of the Mabaruma Phase. They consist simply 
of a large cobble with a few percussion flakes struck off the end or 
a piece of micaceous schist roughly shaped by percussion flaking into 
