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86 <br />• No identifiable trough metates were found. Some degree of pecking or <br />other surficial modification is present in most of the items recovered. <br />A few show evidence of edge modifications in the form of controlled <br />spalling around the perimeter of the slab as well. <br />Almost all specimens bear striations, indicating the direction of <br />use. These were inspected by shining a bright unpolarized light al- <br />most parallel to the surface, and rotating the metate until the stria- <br />tions were perpendicular to the beam. The resulting shadows delineated <br />the striations quite clearly. Where no evidence of such wear was pre- <br />sent, the specimen was further subjected to low-power (12.5x) micro- <br />scopic inspection in the same fashion to determine the direction of use. <br />Ground stone: unifacial grinding, flat slab, Type IA. SiX specimens <br />~~ <br />Description: grinding surface limited to the central portion of the <br />slab. There is no visible concavity in any direction and only slight <br />microscopic striation to indicate direction of use. The use appears <br />to be reciprocating motion rather than rotary motion. <br />Material: sandstone. <br />Variation in surface texture: ranges from smooth polish to rough. <br />Edge wear: none visible due to fragmented nature of specimens. <br />Variation: one specimen shows evidence of pecking, and all others <br />show no visible modification of the surface other than polish. <br />Size range: thickness, 21-32 mm. <br />Ground stone: unifacial grindin shallow basin, T e IB. Eight SpeClmenS <br />ig. . <br />Description: slight concavity on one face, in both lateral and longi- <br />tudinal directions. There are visible striations which indicate <br />reciprocating motion. The surface has been pecked. <br />taterial: sandstone. <br />Variation in surface texture: medium to fine polish. All appear to <br />be worn as smooth as the texture of the material allows. This condi- <br />tion occurs where pecking has been obliterated thru use and in be- <br />tween. <br />Edge wear: edge spalling present in two specimens. <br />Size range: thickness, 26-76 mm. <br />Ground stone: bifacial grinding, flat slab, Type IIA. Two specimens. <br />Description: similar in all respects to unifacial flat slab, except <br />that they are bifacially utilized. <br />Material: hard, fine-grained sandstone. <br />Variation in surface texture: very fine, except where light pecking <br />is oresent. Contact surfaces have pronounced polish. <br />Edge wear: one specimen has spalling on an edge. <br />,• <br />