Most whetstones are symmetric elongated bifacial tools of abrasive sandstone or polishing mudstone for sharpening the edges of stone and copper instruments or smoothing their faces. Often symmetric in side profile and called bar whetstones, some were suspended via notching. Whetstones are usually flat on both top and bottom surfaces. A few are retouched, but most are plain. Whetstones are related to edge grinders in tool preparation except the latter are grooved and made of sandstone. Whetstones may be striated and heavily worn. They occur in all phases of Beverly prehistory.
Whetstone use by Déné Indians was replaced in the 19th Century by commercial ones. The Déné ancestors of the Taltheilei and their predecessors of the ASTt, Shield Archaic and Northern Plano, had whetstones of several variations, but generally bar type. They are simple tools-of-the-moment like sandstone chi-thos, but as their raw differed from other tools and was not universally available, they were probably curated and carried by herd-followers. Although only 6 tundra & 15 forest stratified and culturally affiliated Beverly whetstones occur, surface whetstones are excluded pending the establishment of culturally diagnostic traits. By number and culture, and from earliest to latest, the 21 whetstones include 3 NP, SA, and 6 ET, 1 MT, 8 LT & 1 General Taltheilei. ASTt whetstones are unreported. As half of the 4 tundra whetstones are NP, and no forest NP whetstones are reported, rangewide comparison is not given. Mean whetstone lengths are quite conservative from earliest times to LT. LT length is based on 6 whetstones, suggesting some representation. General Taltheilei at 98 mm resembles LT and supports the possibility of lengthier whetstones as Taltheilei progresses. Might this have to do with increased or differing whetstone function? Mean widths oddly differ, with NP widest, but again width increases within Taltheilei. Mean thickness follows a similar pattern, except that a huge mano-like whetstone included in LT by Wright inflates thickness and weight.* An examination of mean measurements of Beverly whetstones suggests the following ratios: NP 84x49x13 mm (w=<1/2xl); SA 72x24x9 mm (w= 3xl); ET 64x27x11 mm (w=<1/2xl, like NP); LT 108x41x22 mm (w=<3xl, like SA). Although NP & ET and SA & LT ratios are similar, NP and LT whetstones are bigger. Whetstones sorted by material are 48% sandstone, 10% each of schist & quartzite, 29% slate & 5% silicious shale. Sandstone is most common, but the single SA whetstone is schist, as is one of the 8 LT whetstones. Slate is secondmost, a major contributor to ET, NP & SA, but unimportant in LT (16%). The low frequencies of quartzite & silicious shale whetstones is probably due to their low abrasive qualities. Whetstone plans are 81% rectangular, 5% round or ovoid, and 15% triangular. All cultures have rectangular plans (the single General Taltheilei is unphased). ET has all plans, followed by LT which is rectangular & triangular. Lower plan variety in Taltheilei and overall increase in size suggest an attempt at standardization, perhaps for a specific application. All cultures have whetstones of biplanar section, a method of doubling the effective flat grinding area. ET also has a triangular pointed whetstone, probably for a specific task such as grinding the concavity of a shouldered point. Three-quarters of whetstones are unsuspended and were probably stored in carrying bags. Of the remaining quarter, 3 have deeply ground asymmetric notches cut on each side of the handle for suspending via sinew, conceivably from the neck or shirt. Two SA whetstones have notches inferred from their elongated tapering but broken shape. All definitely notched whetstones are ET, a phase producing the most types of whetstones except for LT. LT whetstones are un-notched, notching being dropped over Taltheilei, perhaps with the evolution of differing whetstone tasks or mode of carrying. A quarter of whetstones have unworn edges, their primary use being their grinding surfaces. Most whetstones have worn or ground edges, such that it is possible to infer whetstones were multi-purpose tools for both edge & face grinding. That 86% of whetstones have ground faces is expected, considering their main function was flat grinding. The remainder have ground edges for narrower applications; e.g., ET as explained for edge wear. Half of whetstones are too weathered or finely polished for striae to appear under 20x magnification. Nonetheless, 40% have longitudinal striae indicating a push-pull motion in sharpening or grinding objects; i.e., an in-line motion parallel with the major tool axis. Transverse or cross-striae and oblique striae are unreported although they exist in combination with longitudinal striae. They likely indicate variable whetstone application for special grinding tasks. Half of whetstones have distinct traits: 10% used as edge abraders; 15% with wide striated grooves; 5% with multiple breaks; 10% with worn tips, and 15% blocky and heavy. Edge abraders and groovers are used for grinding & polishing of convex stone & copper surfaces varying in diameter between point and knife edges and shafts. Spear shafts were shaped with special deeply concave rough sandstone blocky abraders described elsewhere. A few whetstones are broken such that it is impossible to tell whether breakage was done to facilitate tool use, or accidental. Tips are worn on some whetstones for special narrow grinding applications. Since I feel that whetstones were carried by herd-followers due to their special material, the blocky ones were probably left behind. 21 whetstones (5 tundra & 16 forest) include 3 NP, 2 SA, and 6 ET, 1 MT, 8 LT & 1 General Taltheilei. ASTt whetstones are unreported. Length is conservative from earliest times to LT. General Taltheilei at 98 mm is similar to LT and supports the possibility of lengthier whetstones as Taltheilei progresses. Widths oddly differ, with NP widest, but again width increases within Taltheilei. Thickness follows a similar pattern. An examination of mean measurements of Beverly whetstones suggests the following ratios: NP 84x49x13 mm (w=< 1/2 l); SA 72x24x9 mm (w= 3 l); ET 64x27x11 mm (w=< 1/2 l, like NP); LT 108x41x22 mm (w= < 3 l, like SA). Although NP & ET and SA & LT ratios are similar, NP and LT whetstones are bigger. Whetstones are 48% sandstone, 10% each of schist & quartzite, 29% slate & 5% silicious shale. Sandstone is most common, but the single SA whetstone is schist, as is one of the 8 LT whetstones. Slate is second important, a major contributor to ET, NP & SA, but negligible in LT (16%). Low frequencies of quartzite & silicious shale are probably due to low abrasive qualities. Whetstone plans are 81% rectangular, 5% round or ovoid, and 15% triangular. All cultures have rectangular plans. ET has all plans, followed by LT which is rectangular & triangular. Lower plan variety in Taltheilei and overall increase in size suggest an attempt at standardization for a specific application. All cultures have biplanar whetstones, doubling effectively the grinding area. ET also has a triangular pointed whetstone, probably for a specific task such as grinding shouldered points. 3/4 of all whetstones are unsuspended and were probably stored in carrying bags. 3 have deeply ground asymmetric side notches for suspending with sinew from the neck or shirt. Two SA whetstones have notches inferred from their elongated tapering but broken shape. All definitely notched whetstones are ET, a phase producing the most types of whetstones except for LT. LT whetstones are un-notched, notching dropping over Taltheilei, perhaps with the evolution of differing whetstone tasks or mode of carrying. 1/4 of all whetstones have unworn edges, their primary function being their grinding surfaces. Most whetstones have worn or ground edges, such that it is possible to infer whetstones were multi-purpose tools for both edge & face grinding. 86% of Beverly whetstones have ground faces because their main function was grinding. The remainder have ground edges for narrower applications. Half of Beverly whetstones are too weathered or polished for striae. Almost half have longitudinal striae of a push-pull motion in sharpening or grinding objects. Transverse or cross-striae and oblique striae exist only in combination with longitudinal striae. They likely indicate variable whetstone application for special grinding tasks. Half of Beverly whetstones have individual traits, including 10% used as edge abraders; 15% with wide striated grooves; 5% with multiple breaks; 10% with worn tips, and 15% that are blocky and heavy. Edge abraders and groovers are used for grinding & polishing convex stone & copper surfaces of varying diameters. A few whetstones are broken such that it is impossible to tell whether breakage was done to facilitate tool use, or accidental. Tips are worn on some whetstones for special narrow grinding applications. Since I feel that whetstones were carried by herd-followers due to their special material, the blocky ones were probably left behind. Cultural phase-important whetsone traits are tables below. Plan: 1=rectangular (bar, square or rhomboid); 2=round or ovoid; 3=triangular. Section: 1=biplanar; 2= planoconvex; 3= biconvex; 4=concavoconvex; 5=triangular. Suspension: o=unknown; 1=asymmetric notch; 2=none; 3=hole; 4=inferred notch Edgewear: 1=absent; 2=sharp/serrated; 3=worn/ground. Faceworn: 1=absent; 2=present. Striae: 0=unknown; 1=longitudinal; 2=transverse; 3=oblique; 4=1 & 2; 5=2 & 3; 6=1 & 3, 7=1, 2 & 3. Polish: 0=unknown; 1=absent; 3=present. Oddtraits: 0=unknown; 1=also edge abrader; 2=wide striated groove; 3=multiple breaks; 4=worn tip, 5=blocky; 6=also used as chitho, 7=1 &2.