North America Northwest Coast Pacific Northwest Western United States

Stone hammer.* Fide donor GTE: Stone hand hammer. The most common stone implement found about Lytton, either dug up on old village sites or preserved by the present generation, is the hand hammer or pestle. It is made from a variety of fine-grained rocks, generally of convenient size and shaped boulders that require the least amount of labor to bring them to the required shape. Such pieces are pecked into shape, having a heavy base sometimes deep, the sides meeting the bottom at right angles, and again greatly expanded. The body of the hammer where it is grasped by the hand is generally smaller than the expanded head which is variously shaped with a conoidal knot or contracted to a long conical point. Although the rudest specimens taper gradually from the base to the rounded head. The rudest specimens are simply pecked into shape, while the finer ones, after shaping, are beautifully ground or smoothed. In several instances among those here described, the heads are given the forms of animal heads. These hand hammers were used for a variety of purposes and the worn surfaces readily indicate their use. Those used as hand mashers for crushing roots, nuts, berries, etc. show smooth flattened or slightly convex bases, while those used as hammers for driving wedges, stakes, etc., show a well worn concave base and offer flattened and worn sides of the base. *Information is from the original accession ledger.

DESCRIPTION: Pecked and ground stone T-shaped hand maul, with one flange/handle broken off. There are three grooves incised on the end of the existing flange. Very worn surfaces, especially on the bottom. See: 'Artifacts of the Northwest Coast Indians' by Hilary Stewart, revised edition, 1981, pp 58-59. "Shaped by the pecking and grinding technique, (on occasion ground to a fine smoothness) these mauls represent a great deal of labour, since so much of the stone had to be removed..." "The striking head of the maul was the part primarily used, although some of these tools show strong evidence of wear at both ends of the T shape. Ends that are battered or pitted would have served a hammering function, while those that are smooth and convex would seem to indicate use in grinding." NOTE: Identified as Northwest Coast by Robin Wright. FIDE DONOR: Baskets belonged to donor's mother, Kathleen M. Schultz, and were probably acquired in 1917, when they lived in Alaska. Donor had no idea where the maul came from; it had always been with his mother's things.

Stone hammer.* Lateral groove is deep and square, incised longitudinally. The ends have been battered/pecked and this object may have been hafted (6/95). *Information is from the original accession ledger.

Indian hand hammer of granite. Locality: Skagit County, WA.* *Information is from the original accession ledger.

Stone maul. Locality: Issaquah, Wash.* Collection received 1/3/1910 from Issaquah, WA and collected by C.M. Sheafe.** Flat-top maul with a diamond cut sample (removed by unknown person, possibly for analysis) taken from the base. Base is 40% chipped and edge-battered. *Information is from the original accession ledger. **Information is from original catalog ledger.

Stone maul. Locality: Lemola (Kitsap County) WA. Remarks: Purchased of Geo. Sneathum.* An archaeological specimen from a midden near Jack Adams place, at Cape Horn (Lemolo).** Ground, pecked and battered stone maul. Location written on the artifact is "Lemola". There is no Lemola in WA. There are, however, two Lemolos, one in Kitsap County, one in King County. Since there are 10+ Cape Horns in WA and none of them are near either of the Lemolos we have not yet determined the correct location for this artifact. 2/8/96 SKH *Information is from the original accession ledger. **Information is from the accession file.

Hand hammer with flared distal end and tapered handle. Top of handle (proximal end) has been broken off. Distal end is chipped in three places and shows evidence of pecking. Found by Mr. Gray when excavating waterfront property at Indianola, WA (Kitsap County), several lots west of main dock.

Broken stone maul,3 pieces. Material, basalt. Technique, pecking, grinding. Motif, none. A large stone hammer head. A groove is cut near either end 3 cm wide. Hammer is broken into 3 pieces although the accession list does not mention it. 1927 loan converted to gift 1-10-86. Subgroup: Puget Sound, 2 mi. up Swamp creek from Alderwood Manor Rd. Broken in three pieces, a-c.

Stone hammer.* Fide donor GTE: Stone hand hammer. The most common stone implement found about Lytton, either dug up on old village sites or preserved by the present generation, is the hand hammer or pestle. It is made from a variety of fine-grained rocks, generally of convenient size and shaped boulders that require the least amount of labor to bring them to the required shape. Such pieces are pecked into shape, having a heavy base sometimes deep, the sides meeting the bottom at right angles, and again greatly expanded. The body of the hammer where it is grasped by the hand is generally smaller than the expanded head which is variously shaped with a conoidal knot or contracted to a long conical point. Although the rudest specimens taper gradually from the base to the rounded head. The rudest specimens are simply pecked into shape, while the finer ones, after shaping, are beautifully ground or smoothed. In several instances among those here described, the heads are given the forms of animal heads. These hand hammers were used for a variety of purposes and the worn surfaces readily indicate their use. Those used as hand mashers for crushing roots, nuts, berries, etc. show smooth flattened or slightly convex bases, while those used as hammers for driving wedges, stakes, etc., show a well worn concave base and offer flattened and worn sides of the base. *Information is from the original accession ledger.