• Ancient "compound" hand tools.In a museum image by pioregur from Fotolia.com
  
  Many designs for hand tools used by original American Indians are still in use today. The Hopi and Dine tribes introduced the drop spindle, or hand-held yarn twisting tool used for rug and clothing creation. The Plains Indians introduced the bow and arrow. All ancient tribes used types of flint and bone for hide scraping and sharpening of other tools.
  
  

Hide Scapers

• Using a flint scraper, the hair was scraped off the hide.animal-hide image by sumos from Fotolia.com
  
  Different kinds of flint were sculpted into effective hide scrapers by native people of almost every tribe, and era. Flint is formed by volcanic lava flowing over rocks, then cooling off. It then solidifies into the glass-like result that makes edges so sharp, some ancient tools can still cut flesh today.
  
  

Compound Tools

• Compound tools were fashioned from bone, stone, and leather. These tools were used to create other tools. Often a rock was fashioned and fit into a bone harness with a handle, and the rock tied in place with leather strips. This created a "shock absorption" tool that could hammer flint and bone into other tools for use.
  
  

Bow and Arrow

• Native people often decorate and personalize their daily use tools.Men bow shooting. Amateur competition in the sanatorium image by Igor Zhorov from Fotolia.com
  
  The bow and arrow were originally made from wood and animal sinew. The tips of the wood shafted arrow were crafted from flint. The bow and arrow are light, easy to use, and very accurate when used by someone practiced. Experts of this tool still use them effectively today.
  
  

Drop Spindle

• This modern day spindle still works on the original principle for hand spinning.gyroscope on black image by Gramper from Fotolia.com
  
  The drop spindle is the oldest fiber spinning device known to humans. Even today the drop spindle can twist fiber such as cotton or wool into yarn in skilled hands. The spinning wheel eventually replaced the drop spindle in many areas, although women in traditional Hopi and Dine cultures still use them today.