Objects of bone and antler, while perhaps more abundant here than in New England, are far less plentiful in form and number than in the Iroquoian area. Cut bones are frequent in most shell pits and heaps. They were cut by grooving the bone partly through on all sides, probably with a flint knife, and breaking.
Bone Awls. These utensils are the most common of all bone articles in this region and are found in almost every part of the area. Some are merely sharpened slivers, but others show a considerable degree of work,, and are well finished and polished. They are usually made of deer or other mammal bone, but sometimes from the leg bones of birds.
In some instances, the joint of the bone is left for a handle, but this is often cut off. Grooved, perforated or decorated bone awls are extremely rare in this region. While it is generally considered that these bone tools were used as awls in sewing leather, as by modern shoemakers, nevertheless, they may have served as forks in removing hot morsels from the pot or for a number of other purposes. The latter supposition is supported by the abundance of bone awls found in some shell pits. The northern Cree of the Hudson Bay region use a similar bone implement as the catching or striking pin in the "cup and ball" game.
Bone Needles. These are rare, but found in most localities. They are generally made of the curved ribs of mammals and are six or eight inches long, or even longer. They are generally broken across the eye, which is usually midway between the ends. A few with the perforation at one end have been reported.
Bone Arrow Points, usually hollow and conical in shape, have been found, especially at Tottenville, Staten Island, in the Burial Ridge. They are rather rare, but this may be due to the fact that conditions are not suitable for their preservation in most localities. Others are flat and triangular in shape.
Harpoons. No actual barbed bone harpoons, such as occur in the Iroquois country have been reported from this region; although the writer has seen what appeared to be part of one from Shinnecock Hills, Long Island, whence comes a harpoon barb of bone, found by the writer, now, in the Museum collection, which was apparently made to tie to a wooden shaft. While neither of these forms seems to occur within this region, several naturally barbed spines from the tail of the sting-ray, found on the Bowman's Brook site, at Mariner's Harbor, Staten Island, may have been used as harpoons or fish spears, for which purpose they were admirably suited by nature.. Long, narrow, chipped stone arrow-heads are generally called "fish points ", but they do not seem peculiarly adapted for this purpose and the name is probably a misnomer. 'No bone fish hooks are reported from hereabouts, though suggested by early writers.
Bone Beads and Tubes. While so abundant on Iroquoian sites, tubes and beads made of hollow bird or other animal bones, polished and cut in sections, are very rare here.
Draw Shaves, or Beaming Tools, made of bone, and probably used for removing the hair from skins, were made by splitting the bone of a deer's leg, leaving a sharp blade in the middle with the joints on either end as handles. The writer has seen none from this immediate region, but they are ,reported by Mr. M. R. Harrington. A number were obtained for the Museum by Mr. Ernst Volk in the Lenape sites near Trenton, New Jersey. An implement, evidently made of the scapula of a deer, and perhaps used as a scraper, was found in a grave at Burial Ridge, Tottenville, Staten Island, by Mr. George H. Pepper.
Worked Teeth. Perforated teeth of the bear, wolf and other animals, so abundant on Iroquoian sites never seem to be found here. Beavers' teeth, cut and ground to an edge, occur, and may have been used as chisels, or primitive crooked knives, or both, as they were till recently by some of the eastern Canadian Algonkin. Other cut beaver teeth may have served as dice or counters in gaming.
Turtle Shell Cups. These are common, and consist merely of the bony carapace of the box turtle (Tranene caroline), scraped and cleaned inside, the ribs being cut away from the covering to finish the utensil for use.
Antler Implements. Deer antlers and fragments of antler, worked and unworked, occur in all shell heaps and pits. When whole antlers are found., they usually show at the base the marks of the axe or other implement used to detach them from the skull. Cut antler prongs, prongs broken from the main shaft and others partly hollowed and sharpened show the process of manufacture of antler arrow points. These are characteristic of this area and are usually conical in shape, hollowed to receive the shaft, and with one or more barbs; not infrequently, however, they are. diamond-shaped in cross section. The shaft fitted into the hollow socket as in the case of the conical bone arrow points. A large number were found in and among the bones of human skeletons in a grave at the Burial Ridge, Tottenville, Staten Island.
Cylinders, neatly cut and worked all over, or cylindrical tines made of deer antler only cut and rounded at the ends, are not infrequent, and were probably used as flaking tools in making and finishing arrow points by pressure. One broken cylinder or pin, found on the Bowman's Brook site, Mariner's Harbor, Staten Island, had a rounded, neatly carved head. This specimen, however, seems to be unique.
Pottery stamps, perhaps of antler or bone, but which may be of wood, seem to have been used, judging by the decorations of many pottery sherds. A pottery stamp, carved from antler, was found slightly east of this region, at Dosoris, Glen Cove, Long Island, by Mr. M. R. Harrington, and is now in the Museum collection.
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