Technology

Artifacts were scarce, with nonfiber objects averaging only a few per cubic meter of excavation.

Lithics

Eric J. White found no difference in the frequencies of types of laurel leaf-shaped stone points over time. However, higher-quality lithic stone points became less common. Stone points were not frequent at the Paloma villages, and, indeed, they are infrequent in fishing sites from middle and late coastal preceramic periods from Ecuador to southern Peril. White also noticed a dramatic decline in wood polish in scrapers from #200. This finding is congruent with decrease in wood use for construction shown in Figure 9. Manos and smaller grinding stones were common. Boiling stones for cooking in gourds were sometimes found in hearths with their inferior surface caked with carbon. There was usually one batan per household.

Obsidian flakes were encountered throughout the deposits, and their source was in the highlands, as discussed above. In a single pit, rocks of all the types observed at Paloma were cached together, in the house of the presumed village knapper. A few stone beads were found in other contexts.

Fiber Objects

Two reports on fiber objects are available in English at the Paloma World web site. Twined mats and netted apparel were found around the head and waist of buried individuals. Apart from string and rope, these were the most common fiber objects. All of the fiber was from wild plants, except for the intrusive cotton offering dated much later.

Of special interest is the charred simple basket in the shape of flat circular tray discussed above with S. 101 (upper right corner of Figure 7b). Its date of 5010 BP suggests that it may be one of the oldest examples of a true coiled basket known for the Western Hemisphere, which can be distinguished from earlier simple twined objects often reported as ‘basketry’ in North America.

Bone Implements

Paloma bone artifacts include points, needles, bull-roarers, and fishhooks. Thirty-three bodkins, flat spatula-shaped bone objects with a perforation at the proximal end, varied in size and amount of polish. Most were found with burials. Bone spatulas, flat, polished bones lacking a perforation, were sometimes made from sea mammal bone, perhaps reflecting the scarcity of land mammal bone, which has more compact bone. We recovered pendants, punches, and fragments of barbs, as well as ‘atlatls’ or spear throwers. Awls were present. Individual tubular bone beads were flat with a wide range in size. Twenty-four beads were found as a necklace in an interment, all of which are tubular avian bones. Two bone objects were recovered that may have functioned as knives.

Gourds

Bottle gourds (Lagenaria siceraria) were found principally in burials. Most were undecorated. One fragment, from S. 36 is over 6500 years old, which is older than other reported decorated gourds. The fragment has a painted design of brown over an orange background. Gourds were fashioned into rattles, sometimes with a stick handle, worn shell fragments and pebbles from the beach, and seeds. Rattles are found in about 20 of the 201 burials and the frequent presence of gourd fragments in other burials suggests that the practice of interring rattles was actually more common. One infant burial had a complete rattle; other fragments were found in burials of children and adults of both genders. Some gourds had been broken and repaired by sewing segments back together, suggesting the maintenance of an important heritage treasure.

Shell, Wood, and Feathers

Large shell implements showed abrasion from use. Shell beads, pendants, and necklaces were found. Complete and fragmentary fishhooks were recovered. Wooden stoppers or floats and a handle that may have given purchase to a fishing net were excavated. One piece of wood was used as a fire drill. Fuelwood as a consumable artifact has been discussed above. Split cane was also used for fire starters and to construct wall coverings and sleeping/mortuary mats. Penguin feathers were relatively common in burials, presumably as adornments; other feathers were probably from birds that were eaten.