BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 355 



Artifacts of Bone. 



In all the village sites, articles made of bone are abundant; 

 and in the refuse heaps they have been preserved in a manner 

 truly surprising. They are never found on camp sites. This is 

 not necessarily because the people who occupied the camp sites 

 did not use bone implements, but because, if they did, there were 

 no refuse heaps in which the fragile articles could be preserved. 



The most abundant of the bone artifacts are the awls. These 

 were used in sewing skins together in making clothing. They 

 are abundant on all village sites. They vary in shape and size, 

 no two being alike. Their one common characteristic is the 

 point, which may be sharp as a needle, or very obtuse. The 

 type is a slender piece of bone three inches or thereabouts in 

 length, keenly pointed at one end and rounded off at the other. 

 Many are formed of slender bird or animal bones, of which the 

 articulated end is left, the other removed and the bone then rubbed 

 down to a sharp point. Figs. 74 and 76, Plate II, show this 

 type. 



Of the many implements classed as awls, it is probable that 

 some were for an entirely different purpose. The blunt pointed 

 "awls" may have been used as pins to fasten skin garments to- 

 gether. Some long, heavy pointed tools have been found, in 

 shape like an exaggerated awl, which are fitted for use as daggers; 

 but they are equalty fitted for use as corn-huskers, or bodkins for 

 basket-making. Figs. 90 and 91, Plate II, show specimens of 

 this type. Others which are classed as awls may have been arrow- 

 points. 



Amongst the Indians fishing was more a matter of spearing 

 or seining than of angling. That they did angle, however, is 

 clearly shown by the occurrence of bone fish-hooks. So far as 

 they are reported, they have been found on but two sites, namely, 

 on Site No. 7, Buffalo, and on Site No. 35, West Seneca. In the 

 refuse heaps of these sites five hooks have been found. They are 

 small, unbarbed, but keenly pointed . All are knobbed for security 

 in fastening to a line. Fig. 83, Plate II, shows one of these. 

 Several pieces of bone and some unfinished hooks show very 

 clearly the process of making these hooks. 



Hollow bone cylinders are very abundant on all the village 

 sites. These are made by cutting hollow bird bones transversely 



[7] 



