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Use-Wear Experiments And Analysis Of Quartzite Tools From Slocan Narrows, British Columbia
Hull, Emily
Hull, Emily
Abstract
Since they were declared extinct in 1956, the history of the Sinixt First Nation has been rendered invisible on the Canadian landscape. The Sinixt’s traditional homelands spanned from present day Revelstoke, BC to present day Kettle Falls, WA. Archaeological sites on this landscape, such as the Slocan Narrows Pithouse Village in British Columbia, serve as visible traces of Sinixt presence on their traditional homelands through time. Quartzite tools, likely sourced from Kettle Falls, remain the most common type of tool found at Slocan Narrows, thus offering insights into Sinixt historical activities. Previous studies on quartzite from this region have been purely morphological in their analyses. Because morphological analysis is not sufficient to infer lithic tool function, I employ use-wear experiments and analysis to better understand quartzite tool use and Sinixt activities at Slocan Narrows. For the present study, I created an experimental assemblage of 22 quartzite tools to scrape deer hide, cedar, or both. I examined all 22 experimental tools and select quartzite tools from excavations at Slocan Narrows under a microscope to identify use-wear patterns on their edges. Results suggest that quartzite tools had multiple uses throughout Slocan Narrow’s history, showing the tools’ versatility.
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2024-01-01
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Anthropology
DOI
https://dx.doi.org/10.21220/s2-f8zh-yv77