Hammerstones

• Because the California Indians were highly reliant on nuts for survival, the hammer stone is a commonly found artifact. These stones were large, usually five inches or more in diameter and hard. They would fit easily into the hands of the women and could be used to crush nuts into fine grains of meal or stew. These hammer stones were oval in shape and made from limestone or quartzite.
  
  

Milling Stones

• The milling stones were made form similar materials as hammer stones. These stones were larger, perhaps 16 to 24 inches around with a hewn-out center for holding grains, nuts and maize for crushing. Generally these tools were too large to hold in one's lap or hands, so they remained stationary, usually outside of the native homes or in the granary area.
  
  

Storage Baskets

• The storage baskets made by the California Indians were made from willow, which is difficult for rodents to chew through. This basket was flat on the bottom with straight sides, which rounded inward at the top. The basket is coiled counter clockwise and has 4 centimeter thick walls. These baskets had some amounts of adornment such as painted stripes and effigies that represented corn gods.
  
  

Bows and Arrows

• The California Indians depended on bows and arrows primarily for hunting as early as the first century BC. Over time the arrow heads decreased in size as agriculture increased. These smaller points are sometimes called bird points, which are no larger than one inch. The bird points are made from quartz or chert and are bi face tools, which means that the points have been shaped on two sides. Later in the 18th century the California Indians were forced into battle with the Europeans. The bows were strengthened by the craftsman by using strong willow sticks, which could withstand greater forces.