Western Wa Artifacts

[highnam]

What can I learn about these stone pestles? Also, are the other pieces adzes? These were found around 1900 within 20 yards of each other. This area is short on lithic materiall, so it looks as if the stones were pecked and ground to a polish...These pestles seem extrememly well crafted.
I am helping my fathers friend whose family also goes back generations in this small community. I would love to be able to tell him more about his grandfathers finds. Thank you!

 

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[BosnMate]

I'm not an expert, and you gave nothing for me to compare for size, so this is a guess on my part. I think you have in the top row, hammers they used for making cedar canoes. The hammers were used on wooden wedges. The other things I've heard called "slave killers." Don't know how true that is, but supposedly when a guy died, if he owned slaves, they were killed an buried with him. All my artifact finds come from Calif. and southern and eastern Oregon, and we have nothing like what you have around here or where I've hunted. I think they are rather specific to Western Washington and the Columbia River.

 

[highnam]

I should know better than to post a pic with no referance to size...I only have this photo...I'm thinking the hammers are 4-5" long and 3" wide...
The other pieces are 8-10" in length

 

[unclemac]

slaves were killed as a sign of wealth and status to impress your guests/rivals when you invited them over to a shindig. "look at me, i am so wealthy I can kill slaves to honor you"... which meant that when your guest returned the favor and threw a party in YOUR honor...he had to one up you or face ridicule.

I would direct you to anything by Hilary Stewart,

https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/108369.Hilary_Stewart

who is the recognized expert for your (and mine also) area. She just passed away a couple years back but her books especially this one..

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15546780-artifacts-of-the-northwest-coast-indians

are essential for what you are trying to do.

It also helps to know what cultural area these items are from. Believe it or not, the PNW had a huge diversity of peoples especially western Washington...with a lot of cultural difference/similarity/interaction and trade.

 

[unclemac]

this should help too

https://qmackie.com/2015/10/01/more-mayne-island-museum/

 

[highnam]

Fantastic, thank you guys. What I thought were pestles are most likely hand mauls for woodworking
The other pieces seem long for adzes, but I have found some long ones in photos, these tribes were peaceful for the most part, every tribe around here feared the Haida from BC