#bison scapula hoe cache

[uwlmvac]

Pictured is a cache of four bison scapulae (shoulder blades) excavated at the Pammel Creek site just south of La Crosse, Wisconsin, in 1983. Pammel Creek was a late precontact Oneota site dating to about AD 1400-1500. The cache consisted of two right and two left scapulae. Each one had the scapular spine removed, and three showed wear at the broad distal end of the blade, suggesting use as hoes. Since no other cultural materials were associated with the scapulae, the feature has been interpreted as a cache. No other bison elements were found in the animal remains from the site, indicating that bison were not hunted locally or butchered/processed at the site. Rather, it appears that bison scapulae were obtained from non-local sources specifically for tool use. This suggests some interaction with outside areas, or possibly seasonal travel by some members of the group to the Plains. Kathy Stevenson is pictured excavating the bison scapula cache.

For a closer look at bison scapula hoes and how they were made, check out Jim Theler's video: https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/educators/archaeology-terms/?letter=b&term=169393

[uwlmvac]

Agricultural hoe blades made of modified bison scapulae are one of the most abundant large artifacts found at late precontact Oneota sites in the La Crosse area. Analysis of more than 200 scapula hoes has helped us understand how they were hafted to a handle and used. We know the people living in Oneota villages were corn agriculturists, and we believe they used scapula hoes in the same way metal hoes were used by European farmers. Hoeing corn as it grows involves hilling soil to provide support around the growing plant, while simultaneously eliminating weeds. Wear patterns on scapula hoes indicate that they were mounted with the smooth side of the scapula facing away from the person, and with the most ground contact. The rough side where the ridgelike scapular spine had been removed would have had more resistance during hoeing, and it was mounted facing upward, towards the user.

Scapula blades are thin, and modern experiments indicate that the use life of a scapula hoe was perhaps one or two years. Many examples found at archaeological sites are fragmented or worn down to a fraction of their original size and probably had a second life as hand digging tools. The Pammel Creek scapulae found stacked or “cached” in a storage pit for later recovery appeared to have some use-life remaining. Based on their position in the pit, they were not hafted on handles when cached. Examples of scapula hoe caches have been found at La Crosse Oneota sites, including Pammel Creek, Gundersen, and Meier Farm. Meier Farm was part of the Sand Lake Archaeological District, which also had preserved agricultural ridged fields.

Link to more information on bison scapula hoes            https://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/past-cultures/artifacts/?letter=b&term=124250

[uwlmvac]

Thanks to Jim Theler for this week’s post -

Shown in photo center, two overlapping bison scapula hoes found at the bottom of Feature 45 at the Meier Farm Site (47LC432), La Crosse County, Wisconsin. These specimens showed signs of use, but were far form exhausted and were probably cached for future use and never recovered. This salvage excavation was undertaken in 2002 under the direction of Jim Theler.

[uwlmvac]

Two specialized caches of bones were identified during excavations at the Sanford Archaeological District in La Crosse, Wisconsin, in the early 1990s. One was a collection of six bison scapula hoes stacked in one pit (left). These were scapulas with the prominent ridges removed so they could be hafted as hoes. The other cache contained a pile of five deer mandibles (right), probably being stored for future use as well. The deer mandibles have had the bottom snapped off, leaving a relatively sharp straight edge. They are often called “sickles,” but the wear patterns suggest at least some uses other than cutting, perhaps also scraping.