We have found numerous bone buttons and blanks (flat sections of bone
with buttons drilled out) at Fort Michilimackinac (1714-1781) and Fort
Mackinac (1781-1895). A button drill or bit is described in Barka and
Barka (1976) on page 74 and sketched in Figure 78 (p. 183). Mercer
(1975:195-198) also has information on and illustrations of buttons
bits.
Lynn Evans
Barka, Norman F. and Anne Barka
1976 Archaeology and the Fur Trade: The Excavation of Sturgeon Fort,
Saskatchewan. History and Archaeology 7. Parks Canada, Ottawa.
Mercer, Henry C.
1975 Ancient Carpenters' Tools... (fifth edition). The Bucks County
Historical Society, Doylestown, Pennsylvania.
Lynn L.M. Evans, Ph.D.
Curator of Archaeology
Mackinac State Historic Parks
P.O. Box 873
Mackinaw City, MI 49701
231-436-4100
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