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

296 FIELDIANA: ANTHROPOLOGY, VOLUME 56ClayThe only artifact in the entire collection that can definitely beassociated with a smoking complex is a fragment of a white kaolinpipe stem 2.5 cm. in length.TextileThe single textile fragment from the Tikchik site is a piece of oilcloth, approximately 5 cm. long and 4 cm. wide, in which werewrapped a large number of percussion caps and cartridge primers.MetalObjects of metal form the largest and most important category ofimported goods from the Tikchik site. They suggest graphically theextent to which the Eskimos of this remote region had already becomefamiliar with restricted aspects of Euro-American material culture.For guidance in analyzing these materials, particularly thenails and tin cans, I have relied heavily on the chapter concerningmetal artifacts in Johnny Ward's Ranch: A Study in Historic Archaeologyby B. J. Fontana and J. C. Greenleaf.Considering the abundance of metal objects in the collection,surprisingly few nails were recovered. There are only 11 specimens,two of which are square-cut nails partially prepared for asecondary use and another three of the square-cut variety havebeen utilized as hooks in antler fishing lure-hooks; all five of thesehave previously been described. Of the remaining six, two are modernwire nails, the common variety in use at the present time. Theothers are of the square-cut type, three being 6d and one lOd in size(Fontana, 1965) (PI. 8,14) ;two are heavily corroded. All the squarecutnails belong to the form called common-cut. Common-cut nails,used more than any other form of square-cut nail, were made in sizes2d to 60d. All specimens, regardless of size, have beveled shanks andCommon-cut nails were usedall shanks are rectangular at the point.in boxes and crates (Fontana and Greenleaf, 1962, p. 57). In additionto the square-cut nails just described, there is also a small wroughtboat spike in the collection (PL 8,15) as well as a previously describedspike that has been partially prepared for a secondary use.It is perhaps worth noting that the three square-cut nails used forfish hooks have all been sharply bent and yet show no signs of rupture.This indicates that they have been annealed as a part of themanufacturing process, a development which took place about 1870