The following excerpts are from the same letter and contain more detailed information regarding archaeological occurrences: “A decomposed burial was uncovered four feet east of a cog stone and at the same depth.... Three fine specimens were found close together under four oblong slabs of fossilized limestone, a pectin shell and a blue piece of granite.... A cog stone was uncovered twenty-five inches below the surface, 19 inches northeast by north from a large metate, in plot #10-b. Upon further investigation, the metate proved to be resting on the stones of a fireplace from which a few broken human bones protruded. Twelve inches north of the fireplace ... a mano was found with the cog stone.”
The above excerpts were from the Banning Site. The following are from the Norris Site: “Three cog stones, #39, #40, #41, were found at a depth of 39 inches. These cog stones rested in the clay on edge. Flat surfaces parallel to each other. These cog stones were found close to a fireplace about two feet square and also close to a burial ... two cog stones were uncovered. These cog stones were one on top of the other and rested on the clay which underlies the kitchen midden. A cog stone was found in test hole #14 at a depth of 3½ feet, 8 inches below the bottom of the excavations in a pit. Abalone shell covered the top of the cog stone ... three cog stones one on top of the other.... This is the first fragment of a cog stone ever encountered in our excavation. We found a few with cogs or pieces broken from them but the Indians generally made an attempt to mend them. This would seem to indicate a ceremonial rather than a practical use.”
These instances serve to indicate such objects were held in high esteem at least for the two sites mentioned. None of the Tank Site specimens was patched nor did any two occur in the same immediate area; however, parallels exist in the forms, materials, the near association of metates, and at least two burial forms. Also, we recognize no utilitarian role in which these curious objects could have functioned.
Last season’s cog stones were all fragmentary. This year three complete specimens were found.
1. Beveled disk, biconically drilled. The specimen is indented at even intervals, resembling somewhat a perforated metal tapered gear or a fish vertebra. Height, 3.8 cm.; diameter at base, 8.8 cm. Material a fine-grained basalt (pl. 23, a).
2. Slightly beveled disk. The periphery is grooved at even intervals producing a cog effect. Both the flat surfaces are slightly pitted at the center of the disk. Height, 4.7 cm.; average diameter, 8.5 cm. Material a rough escoriated basalt (pl. 23, c).
3. Slightly beveled disk like the above specimen only more refined and with more grooves. Slightly pitted on both surfaces. Grooves appear to have first been made by a sawing technique and then later smoothed down. Height, 3 cm.; average diameter, 7.3 cm. Material is volcanic tuff (pl. 23, b).
Stone Disks
Discoids, like cogged stones, do not appear to have been utility items. That there may be some relationship between these two groups in a functional complex is attested by their direct association in the Banning Site as reported by Winterbourne. Eventually they may prove to be as important as cog stones in terms of cultural time-markers, though at present little is known concerning their distribution.
Stone disks have been divided into two gross categories: (I) those with flat to convex faces; (II) those on which one or both faces are concave. In either group the sides may be beveled or straight (for illustrations, cf. Treganza and Malamud 1950, pl. 24, c, d, f, i).