POLISHED STONE ARTICLES USED BY THE NEW YORK ABORIGINES 79 



GORGETS 



Gorgets are found in Europe, but they are different from those in 

 America, where there has been much speculation as to their use. 

 There is no direct evidence that they were twine twisters, as School- 

 craft thought. The Iroquois required no artificial means in making 

 thread, and knew nothing of these implements. Perhaps as little 

 can be said of their use as guards against the recoil of the bow 

 string, for which some of them certainly would have been a clumsy 

 contrivance. Dr. Abbott's conclusion is very much better, in sup- 

 posing they were ornaments variously used. They are usually sym- 

 metrical, and drilled from both sides, each perforation terminating 

 in a smaller hole in the middle. Occasionally they are left unfin- 

 ished, and often seem merely ornaments. In that case it is prob- 

 able they were not so much suspended as fastened to the wearer's 

 dress by one or more holes, like some shell gorgets; or the super- 

 fluous holes might have been for the attachment of other light 

 ornaments to them. However this was, they certainly had no rough 

 usage, but may well have been worn like the frontal crown and 

 the breastplate of the Hebrew high priest. 



If they were ornaments, many may have had a more practical 

 use. A few have a chisel or a gouge-like edge. They are of very 

 wide distribution, and perhaps are as abundant in New York as 

 anywhere, presenting many beautiful, and sometimes rare forms. 

 This is not generally known, because of lack of publication. Mr. 

 Douglass has 360 in his collection, and but 20 of these are from 

 New York, their supposed abundance or rarity depending on the 

 collector's field or tastes. They extend across the continent. 



Dr. Abbott observes that they are found near the breast in New 

 Jersey graves, and this holds good in New York, where, however, 

 but few occur in tombs. He found most New Jersey specimens of 

 one form. In New York there seem no bounds to the varieties. 

 One was taken from a grave at Deming's Point in Dutchess County, 

 which was of dark striped slate. It had one hole and 41 tally marks. 

 The dimensions were four and one half by two and one fourth 

 inches. Another, with but one hole, was taken from a burial mound 



