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

284 FIELDIANA: ANTHROPOLOGY, VOLUME 56rectangular in outline with laterally gouged rectangular holes at eachend for attachment to the net. In cross-section these implementshave a rounded triangular form, narrow at the top and thick at thebottom. One of the floats has a series of notches across the uppersurface similar to those on two of the previously described net sinkers(PI. 6,14). It may be that their purpose was the same as that describedfor the sinkers.GlassTwo pieces of light green bottle glass have been extensively retouchedfor use as scrapers. One fragment is 3 mm. and the other2 mm. in thickness.Non-Eskimo PotteryA single sherd of undecorated ironstone china has been workedinto a round shape for an unknown purpose. The specimen is 2.1 cm.in diameter.LeatherAll three fragments of leather in the collection have been derivedfrom commercially prepared cowhide. The largest is 8.5 cm. inlength, while the other two are about two-thirds that size. Theyare described here because all three have been prepared as patchesor reinforcing pieces. They are carefully cut and rows of closelyspacedstitching holes surround the outer edges on at least two sides.The illustrated specimen would appear to have been the patch on thesole of a shoe or other type of footgear as it is noticeably roughenedon one side (PI. 6,13).MetalThe artifacts described thus far in this chapter are of indigenousmanufacture. Identifying such artifacts has given little difficultybecause most of them have been associated with the traditionalEskimo material culture. When it comes to a description of metalartifacts, however, the identification of indigenous objects is not soSome items made of metal are easy to recognize as completesimple.artifacts acquired by the Eskimos from outside. Others are just asreadily identifiable as attempts by Eskimos to work in a new medium.Between these two clear-cut categories, however, are a numberof artifacts that could belong to either one. Some are so crudelymade as to suggest local manufacture, while others are poorly preservedmaking it difficult to determine their provenience with any