The indigenous people had no nails, no screws, no sticky tape, and no good glue, so they used string and rope to hold things together. They picked up things like roots, berries, oysters, clams, and other shellfish for eating and they used baskets for bringing home what they had gathered. Unfortunately, baskets or strings do not last very long when buried in the ground and only a few have been found by archaeologists. So the analysis of stone and shell tools is important to prove the use of this perishable material.