There are many ways that archaeological artifacts may inform us of the lifeways and sustenance patterns of those who lived in the past. Different materials could have been used as tools, while others could give insight into varying patterns that stand out at certain sites or regions. One artifact type that serves as a great example of these possibilities and that is overwhelmingly prevalent in the Kansas archaeological record is the bison scapula hoe. These have been recovered from a wide range of Kansas sites, including the Etzanoa site (14CO3), where WSU has held archaeological field school at in past seasons. Yet we may ask, how exactly do we know that a bison scapula recovered from a site was implemented for use as a hoe tool? To better understand how archaeologists make this identification, and what key characteristics bison scapula hoes display, a bison scapula from a past season of excavation will be carefully cleaned and analyzed for the appropriate markers. The data yielded will be interpreted in the context of what is known about bison scapula hoes in the Kansas archaeological record to determine if the specific sample was used as a hoe tool, detailing how exactly that conclusion was reached.