JADE

SHAPING PROCESSES

The cut bowlders are most interesting,
and the great number of sandstone saws
found with these definitely show the proc-
ess of working them. The heavier, thicker,
more irregularly shaped bowlders were
sawed longitudinally in parallel grooves,
two or three inches deep, as shown in the
illustrations (pl. mv). In one of the grooves
a wedge was fitted in such a way that, when
sharply struck the impact bore on the entire
length of surface with equal pressure,
resulting in a lengthwise cleavage. But
that this fitting of the wedge was not always
perfect, may be seen in certain fractured
ridges. This, of course, was a great loss,
as the value of an implement depended
largely on its length.

The initial cutting was accomplished by
means of saws of a sharp silicious sandstone,

and water. These saws were of varying
length up to twelve or more inches, but
being brittle they are generally found in
smaller, broken pieces. They were three
or four inches wide and from a quarter to

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INDIAN NOTES