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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



being unlike certain southwestern and Mexican forms, which are 

 elongated. In the east metate grinding thus seems to have been 

 done with a circular motion; in the southwest with a shoving and 

 drawing motion. 



Metates were used by the New York Iroquois until quite recently. 

 Several informants have given us instances where metates were care- 

 fully kept by Indian families and even carried on journeys for pre- 

 paring hominy or parched meal. In later years one turned up as a 



Fig. 59 Metate or mealing stone 



weight used in a pickle jar. Mr M. R. Harrington found a metate 

 in use by an Oneida family in Madison county. With it was a bark 

 tray designed to hold the meal that was pulverized and fell from the 

 stone. One metate and muller found by the writer while working 

 with Mr Harrington on Shinnecock hills was covered with clay and 

 cracked granite. Evidently the temper was being beaten into clay 

 for use in pottery making. Other potter's tools were also found 

 associated with this specimen. 



Moonstones. A name applied by \\'illard Yager, Esq. to certain 

 perforated disks found in the vicinity of Oneonta. These disks have 

 a large central perforation and thirteen small holes drilled about the 

 edge. The central hole is bounded either by circles or by crescentric 



