Manos

Manos and mano fragments were so common in the occupational debris that their association in features or with burials had little or no significance. With the exception of scraper planes they were the most frequent artifact group encountered. Their depth distribution (table 5) suggests several noteable points. The highest frequency occurs in the 6-to-12-inch level, being represented by some 349 examples. From 0-to-36-inches there are 960 specimens but from 36-to-54-inches there are only 2 examples. This would seem to indicate then that the early history of the Tank Site was characterized mainly by a flake-and-core industry with the mano-metate complex being exhibited only lightly at first and then gaining considerable importance toward the latter periods of Phase I. Excavations at LAn-2 would also indicate that the trait began to wane toward Phase II and was gradually replaced by a mortar-pestle complex, which continues to be characteristic on into historic times.

Manos have been typed largely on the basis of the number of faces that exhibit wear, the nature of the worked or worn surfaces, and the general form. Some eight types have been recognized.

Table 5

Mano Types

Occurrence by depth (in in.)
Types0-66-1212-1818-2424-3030-3636-4242-4848-54Total
IA282517101.........182
IB12261282............60
IC10131063............42
IIA315119942.........116
IIB541067631112.........280
IIC828968311031......285
IID131511422.........47
III924162...............51
Total239349229101339101962
Fragments not typable1,556
2,518

Figure 6. Mano Types

I. Unifaced