POLISHED STONE ARTICLES USED BY THE NEW YORK ABORIGINES 2)1 



thick. Dr. Abbott considered these hammers, but hammering 

 and pounding are much alike. 



Fig. 75 is a pyriform grey sandstone pestle from Onondaga Lake. 

 It resembles a plummet, but is larger and not grooved. These 

 would not be real distinctions, but while this implement has been 

 picked and polished, the ends have been battered by use. It is four 

 and one eighth by two and one fourth inches. 



Fig. 89 is a good example of the small pestles probably used in 

 preparing paint. It is of brown sandstone and quite slender, being 

 four and five eighths by one and three eighths inches. It has slight 

 pits, and is from the Oneida River. There are many like this, but 

 usually larger. 



Many large and rude pestles occur. One of brown sandstone, 

 from Elbridge, is slightly spoon-shaped, having a small wedge-like 

 projection at one end, useful for cleaving off bark, and this may 

 have been its purpose. Except this it is rectangular in section, and 

 has the sides nearly parallel. It is 24 inches long, with a general 

 thickness of two and one half inches. Another similar and of the 

 same material, comes from the same town. It is almost square in 

 section, and quite straight like the last. The length is 17 inches, 

 and it is two and one half by two and one quarter inches in thick- 

 ness. These large and rude implements often occur in various 

 places, and quite a number from Brewerton are full 18 inches long. 



A curious but rude pestle of brown sandstone comes from the 

 Seneca River. It is quite angular, and four of the sides are smooth. 

 Between these the edges are roughly chamfered. One smooth 

 side is grooved like a gouge at the smaller end, probably in sharp- 

 ening tools, and there are pits at the larger end. It is eight and one 

 fourth inches long, the greatest width being one and seven eighths 

 inches. A flat sandstone pestle, from Oneida Creek, has parallel 

 sides and compressed ends, with many pits. The dimensions are 

 six and. three eighths by two and five eighths inches. 



One from Onondaga Lake has one edge perfectly straight, while 

 the other is picked and curved, and has a transverse groove, per- 

 •haps for attaching a handle. Both ends show use. This is seven 

 and seven eighths by two and seven eighths inches. A somewhat 



