|
| Hammered digging stick made of persimmon wood, probably from Painted Cave (41 VV 90). Termed “mescal chisels” in the Southwest, these were hammered (with a rock) into the rootstocks of sotol, lechuguilla, or yucca plants, then used as a lever to pry the plant out of the ground. This one has a frayed proximal end from hammering, a splinter scar from impact against rocky ground, discoloration from handling by its owner, and sotol epidermis and dirt lodged in the scar. Photo by Ken Brown. |