Antler Bone Shell Artifacts PDF Download

"Osseous artifacts have not been given the attention they deserve by most Iroquoian researchers. While a general system for their classification has evolved over the past one hundred plus years, labels have been assigned to artifacts based on very general characteristics. This dissertation addresses this shortcoming by undertaking a much more detailed analysis of their morphological and metric attributes. It refines the existing classificatory terminology and provides the foundation for a much more standardized typology which can be used and further refined by Iroquoian researchers in the future. The analysis also tests the hypothesis that the sites exhibit significant differences. For example, while all five sites are roughly contemporaneous they are located in two different micro-environments and are related to two different cultural traditions; one site is a special purpose fishing camp. This dissertation explores the similarities and differences between the five sites' osseous artifact assemblages and identifies variations that may be attributable to special site functions, differences in environment, subsistence patterns or cultural affiliation. " --