Tikchik village: a nineteenth century riverine community in ... - Cluster

304 FIELDIANA: ANTHROPOLOGY, VOLUME 56two centerfire cartridge cases with the letters "W.R.A. Co." and"44 W.C.F." on the head which were doubtless used in a Winchesterlever action rifle. The 44-40 centerfire caliber was first used in thefamous Model 1873 which was listed in Winchester catalogues from1875 to 1920 (Bowman, 1958, pp. 83-84; Williamson, 1952, p. 424).A third centerfire cartridge case appears to be of the same caliberbut there are no manufacturer's marks.There are two 44 caliber long rimfire cartridge cases withoutmanufacturer's marks, presumably for use in Henry's RepeatingRifle. This efficient rimfire rifle was patented in 1860 and manufacturedin Winchester's New Haven Arms Company in New Haven,Connecticut. One of the most common of all rimfire cartridges, the44 long was also chambered to many other models until well into thetwentieth century (Datig, 1956-58, vol. II, p. 153; Smith, 1960,p. 239; Fontana and Greenleaf, 1962, p. 81).The sixth and last cartridge case has the letters "W.R.A. Co."and "45-60 W.C.F." on the head. This centerfire cartridge, manufacturedby the Winchester Repeating Arms Co., was first loaded in1879 for use in the Model 1876 rifle, a weapon that was listed inWinchester catalogues between 1878 and October, 1893 (Williamson,1952, pp. 425, 454) . In addition to the cartridge cases just described,the collection also contains a single No. 6 shotgun pellet.All the cartridge cases described here would have been used inhigh-powered rifles for the hunting of caribou and other big game.It would seem that the rifles represented are late nineteenth centuryprototypes of models in use at the present time.Also associated with firearms is a single, narrow, rectangular barof lead (PI. 10,14) which appears to represent the manner in whichthis material was received by the Eskimos from the trader for manufactureinto bullets for muzzle-loading weapons. There is raisedlettering on one surface of the bar, but the specimen is badly corrodedand the inscription, possibly a maker's name, cannot be read.In addition to the metal bar, a small piece of melted lead was alsorecovered.In the sod layer covering kashgee 1 was found a steel spring trapof the type used extensively for taking fur-bearing animals throughoutthe area today. The maker's name is clearly visible on the pan.Across the top is the word "Victor" and around the bottom half ofthe pan run the words "Oneida Community, N.Y." and "made inU.S.A." There are two patent dates inscribed on the pan, but it ispossible to read only one of these— 1907. The trap is a size two, the