76 



adaptations of form Avliich, as a whole, characterbes tlie weapons of tlio 

 successive portions of the shell-heaps. I have therefore contented myself 

 with a selection of the more characteristic types. 



These seem to sIioav not only a gradual progress, but a remarkable 

 similarity in type of the earlier Aveapons of the i\leuts to the modern types 

 m use among the Eskimo of the adjacent region. These Eskimo types arc 

 very ancient and have been handed down, with some improvements but 

 not much alteration of form, from a period probably contemporaneous with 

 these Aleut weapons. The stone dart soon ran its course among the Aleuts, 

 and became with them merely an appendage of the bone dart-head. This 

 was owing to the lesser facilities which it affords for retention in a wound 

 when compared with the bone barbs. When bone was first applied to this 

 purpose, the Aveapons were of a most primitive character. No. 10083 exhibits 

 one of these rude and clumsy forms. At first, all the Aveapons seemed to 

 have been barbed on one side only, and this type persists to the present day;, 

 but points barbed on both sides Avere introduced at a very early stage, and 

 also still persist, each type being in some respects better fitted for some 

 special purpose. The bone points Avere first made to be permanently 

 attached to the shaft of the dart. But an improvement Avas soon intro- 

 duced, by Avhich it Avas detached, but not lost, being still made hist to a 

 cord attached to the shaft, Avhen a Avounded animal had Avorked it out of its 

 socket. This saved the shaft from breaking, an important consideration 

 with the Aleuts, from the scarcity of Avood suited to the purpose. But the 

 oldest form still persisted, and is now in use among the Eskimo, but chiefly 

 as childi-en's toys for shooting at a mai-k or at small birds. Various modifi- 

 cations of the type represented by No. 16079 Avere found in various parts 

 )f the shell-heaps above the lower Mammalian lajer, on the Avhole improv- 

 ing much in finish as Ave pass to the specimens from the upper strata. None 

 of them, however, carried this forrc: to the perfection which has been reached 

 by the modern Eskimo, a specimen of whose work is shown in No. 1G413. 

 When the double barbing was introduced, Ave have no means of deciding ; 

 but none of our specimens are from a greater depth than the middle Mamma- 

 lian stratum. At first, the barbs of one side were longer than those of the 

 other, and a tendency to this may be noted in most modern Eskimo dart- 



