Fig. 555. (S. 1–5.) This presents a bone hairpin, a fish-hook, a flute and harpoon, two bone celts, a perforated antler of an elk, and a long bone partially cut into bits, all of which were found in the graves at Madisonville, Ohio. Peabody Museum collection, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The figure of the bone celts (551) shows that nearly all of them were hollowed after the manner of Eastern stone gouges. The second specimen from the top is highly polished on the edge and there are eight places where notches have been worn into the bone. Similar wearing is noticed on the lower specimens.
The Mandans raised much corn, beans, and squashes, and the large shoulder blades of the buffalo and elk were made use of by these Indians as spades and hoes. There are more than one hundred of them in our collection.
Fig. 556. (S. 1–2.) Mandan bone ornaments.
Mr. Steinbrueck, at my request, wrote me at considerable length and sent me several books of field-notes. Particularly interesting are his descriptions of objects shown in Figs. 552, 552 A, and 553. I quote from his letter:—
“After a number of years of continuous researches in the ancient Indian village-sites on or about the Heart River and along the Missouri River, I have gradually learned to read the purpose, the use, and also, in some instances, the manufacture of certain horn and bone implements and ornaments of the Mandan Indians.”
It would appear that the late J. V. Brower and Rev. G. L. Wilson and Mr. Steinbrueck made explorations in common during several seasons.
“... On our sociable excursions, we used to find three-cornered pieces of elk-horn (Fig. 552) which showed considerable work. They were long and pointed, had a round base, showed the incision of a sharp instrument along the edges, were scraped at both sides; in short, seemed to be shaped for some purpose, which we could not guess. Probably they were intended for some kind of an awl, or some other object of use or ornament. It was strange, though, that we found such quantities of them and all in the same state of more or less finish, and still we never found an implement of a shape similar to these peculiar triangular pieces of horn. We called them ‘unfinished implements of horn, purpose unknown.’”
