At the Zueberbueler site in west Texas, beads had a slow
and not too exciting start. Lapidary skills would become popular around 4,000 BP, but it was to
be in areas where the natural materials could be found.
Flint, while common at the west Texas shelter, it did not
offer itself to grinding. To the
craftsman of the Pecos and Rio Grande rivers only bone was common.
So it would be other interests for the cave man of this area.
To the east soapstone and other soft materials allowed man to take
on large tasks with stone, so
pendants and gorgets became popular.
In the northern edge of Mexico, man would find shell to his liking. The surrounding mountains
offered a variety of stones that could be turned in to art, so here both beads and larger
decorations were made.
Large stone items were often made using the "peck and grind" system. A area of the stone would
be dimpled by pecking first and then the pitted area would be ground off.
The Pecos offers samples from several areas, please select below.
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