Abstract

Despite their ubiquitous use in pre-contact Northwest Coast societies, ground stone tools are an underused source of information regarding technology, subsistence and social relations. The examination of ground stone tool assemblages from archaeological sites can help to inform us as to the organization of household procurement and production on the Northwest Coast. Furthermore, experimental research into the methods of manufacture of ground stone tools can aid in the recognition of stages of manufacture and debitage in archaeological contexts. This paper presents anlysis to date of the distribution of ground stone tool assemblages across eight sites in the Prince Rupert Harbour area. In order to better understand the distribution of resource procurement and production at different sites, ground stone tool assemblage from village sites and camp sites are analysed. Homogeneity and heterogeneity among toolkits are discussed in the context of site function. In addition, experimental results of ground slate tool production are discussed in relation to archaeological data.