stone hammer, Stl’atl’imx

Archaeological implement. Broken hammer stone. [update 2019] The broken bottom half of a stone maul. Looks like the bottom portion of a broken hammer stone and cleanly broken diagonally. Location where found in Stl’atl’imx territory is unknown. Hand mauls are almost exclusive to the indigenous people of the southern coast. The hand maul required hard stone not prone to cracking or chipping; it was used to pound wedges into a cedar log to split off planks, as well as for other woodworking requirements. The maul was made by pecking and grinding techniques. A stone of suitable size and material was selected, pecked to the required shape, ground smooth, then polished with a piece of oiled hide. [See publication “Stone, Bone, Antler & Shell” by Hilary Stewart, 1996 – shared by Johnny Jones].