218 BUREAU OF AMERICAN ETHNOLOGY [bull. 63 



laterally edged blades, used as our knives. The most common form 

 is the second. For details regarding the first and second, see under 

 Weapons. The third kind, with a blade of iron, is in use among 

 the Onas, but is not common (C. Gallardo, 268-269 ; Outes, b, 292, ill.). 



A simpler rude sort of knife was used by the Yahgans for tracing on 

 trees the outline of bark to be cut, as was also a wooden instrument 

 for detaching the bark (Hyades, q, 300). They also used a curved 

 knife of whalebone for cutting bark (Despard, b, 679). 



Perforators or awls. — These are made of bone, horn, or wood 

 (Hyades, q, 306, pi. xxxiii, figs. 7-8; Th. Bridges, b, 1886, 56; Skotts- 

 berg, d, 602; Dabbene, b, 249), and among the Onas at least may be 

 hafted (Outes, b, 290; C. GaUardo, 270-271). The Yahgans also use 

 a wooden spatula to apply paint to their faces (Hyades, q, 306). 



Wedges. — The bone wedge is used especially in splitting the four- 

 pronged sea-urchin spears (Hyades, q, 299, pi. xxxii, fig. 9 ; Th. Bridges, 

 b, 1886, 56). The Onas use a bone or small stone wedge to split the 

 wood for their arrow shafts (Cojazzi, 44; C. GaUardo, 280). 



Archeology 



It may be a little inaccurate to use the heading archeology in the 

 case of the meager remains obtained from Fuegian graves and mid- 

 dens. As, however, these remains throw some light on the past of 

 the Fuegian peoples the term is probably justified, at least for the 

 purpose of classification. Investigations thus far made in this field 

 have been inadequate and have yielded only unimportant results. 

 Systematic excavations in the abundant middens of the Magellanic 

 archipelagos are m^gently needed and may furnish us with important 

 information on the past of the natives. 



For the sources at hand on the subject, see the references given 

 under Burial and Disposal of Property, and under Food (mortar and 

 dogs). Spear, Knives, Bow and Arrow, Morning-star Clubheads, 

 Bolas, Adze, Ax. The most important sources are Dr. Lovisato's 

 excellent paper (6) on the Elizabeth Island middens, and Dr. Cop- 

 pinger's account of his investigations of some of the West Patagonian 

 channel middens. 



The objects from graves and shell heaps include stone axheads, a 

 flattened bone spearhead, some large chipped flints that may have 

 been either arrowheads or else dagger or spear heads, a morning-star 

 clubhead, a mortar, bolas balls, a pohshed bone implement somewhat 

 resembhng an adzehead, and various stone artifacts. AU the above 

 artifacts liave been treated in detail in the section deahn^ with Mate- 

 rial Culture. Tliey throw very little light on the past of the Fuegian 

 and Chonoan peoples. Tliere is no definite evidence that the morning- 

 star clubhead, the mortar, or the bolas were ever in actual use — the 

 last almost certainly not in use at least prior to the eighteenth century. 



