POLISHED STONE ARTICLES USED BY THE NEW YORK ABORIGINES 43 



one eighth inches. One of green talc, two and three fourths by one 

 and one half inches, has many facets. This also is from Brewerton. 

 Angular forms are often thickest in the center. Quite a propor- 

 tion have a cross groove over the end above the circular notch. 

 A very irregular one of sandstone has about thirty facets, but this 

 is unusual, and such a feature may be only preparatory to a finer 

 finish. 



SINEW STONES 



Though the name of sinew stones may not exactly express the 

 use of a familiar class of articles, it yet answers a purpose, the 

 grooves being supposed to come from drawing sinews across the 

 stone. The best examples are thus of rather soft sandstone, easily 

 worn. The theory imagines this operation for making an even 

 bow-string, not an unlikely thing. Dr. Abbott described one of 

 these stones, and said they had never been figured before. They are 

 not common, and yet have a wide distribution. 



Fig. 86 is unusually fine, having many of these grooves deeply 

 impressed in this brown sandstone pebble, and the other side is 

 like the one shown. This is from Binghamton, and three and seven 

 eighths inches long, which is about the usual size. A larger one 

 from Oneida Lake, has grooves and notches, and is five and one 

 half by two inches. Another, from Cayuga Lake, is almost tri- 

 angular, and has deep grooves all around. This is three and one 

 half by two and one quarter inches. A brown sandstone pebble 

 from Seneca County, three and one half by two and three quarters 

 inches, has grooves only at one end. These, of course, increase in 

 number and depth through use. One, from Onondaga Lake, has 

 deep grooves, and is three and one half inches long. One of grey 

 sandstone, from Schoharie County, has similar grooves, and is four 

 and one fourth inches in length. A much larger one of grey sand- 

 stone, from Oswego Falls, has but slight grooves, being a hard 

 stone. Several come from Brewerton, but this enumeration will 

 show their distribution and leading features. The drawing of thread 

 through beeswax will illustrate their appearance and possible mode 

 of formation. The general form, of course, will be that of the 

 pebble, and the marks will vary with use. 



