Plains Indian Studies - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

150 SMITHSONIAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO ANTHROPOLOGY
black-tailed deer antlers, which were preferred
over wooden rakes:
Of the two, we thought the horn rake the better because
it did not grow worms, as we said. Worms often appear in a
garden and do much damage. It is a tradition with us that
worms are afraid of horn; and we believed if we used blacktailed
deer horn rakes, not many worms would be found in
our fields that season.
Wilson's (1917:14 and facing page) monograph
included a drawing of Buffalobird-woman's an­
FIGURE 20.—Archaeological evidence and ethnographic parallels
for scapula hoes: a, Scapula artifact, ISU4370, excavated
from a storage pit, feature 23, at 13MA30, the Mohler
Farm Site; b, model of Hidatsa scapula hoe made by Edward
Goodbird and Buffalobird-woman (Wilson 1917:12); c, Buffalobird-woman
hoeing squashes with a scapula hoe (Wilson,
1917, opposite p. 14).
tler rake and a photograph of her using the tool
(Figure 21). Seven artifacts of similar form, and
presumably similar function, were found in the
fill of storage pits at 13PK1. Figure 22, shows an
antler tool in situ in a partially excavated cache
pit. A similar implement is illustrated in Figure
2U.
Within the above context we can now look at
certain artifacts made from freshwater clam
shells. Of particular interest are 53 artifacts from
13PK1. Initially, following general precedents, I
FIGURE 21.—Archaeological evidence and ethnographic parallels
for antler rakes: a, Buffalobird-woman in field with
antler rake (Wilson, 1917: opposite p. 14); b, antler rake
made by Buffalobird-woman (Wilson 1917:14); c, antler
artifact, ISU 11358, excavated from a storage pit, feature 1
at 13PK1, Howard Goodhue site.