Awl   Save
Mr. & Mrs. Merle Pearson Collection
Description: This bone awl was made from an animal scapula and is sharpened to a point at one end. The natural shape of the bone is maintained at the opposite end. The cancellous inner portion of the bone is exposed along one length of the item. The awl is highly polished and is pale yellow and gray in color. This piece comes from Sandusky Culture. Early (ca. A.D. 1000) Sandusky people lived in villages where they fished, hunted, gathered plants, and grew some crops. They also moved to smaller camps when seasonal foods were available. By about 1400, Sandusky people lived in larger, more permanent villages. These were often protected with wooden stockades. Farming was more important, especially the growing of beans. Farming allowed the Sandusky people to grow in numbers and to colonize new lands. Yet they may have become too dependent upon their crops. Over time, the depletion of soil and firewood required some or all villagers to move. In this way, the Sandusky culture spread across the western Lake Erie basin into present-day Michigan and Ontario. Due to the need for fertile soils, most Sandusky villages were built on the flood plains of the Maumee, Portage, and Sandusky rivers. View on Ohio Memory.
Image ID: A3975_001795
Subjects: Prehistoric peoples; Bone implements, Prehistoric;
Places: Mr. & Mrs. Merle Pearson Collection