indicated by the specimens found in the graves and about the village
sites, were chiefly of stone, copper, shell, bone, antler, horn,
feathers, skin, tule stalks, birch bark and wood. They employed
extensively various kinds of stone for making a variety of objects.
Obsidian,[26] glassy basalt or trap, petrified wood, agate, chalcedonic
quartz with opaline intrusions, chert and jasper were used for chipping
into various kinds of points, such as those used for arrows, spears,
knives, drills and scrapers. According to Spinden,[27] obsidian was used
in the Nez Perce region to the east where it was obtained from the John
Day River and in the mountains to the east, possibly in the vicinity of
the Yellowstone National Park. The people of the Yakima Valley may have
secured it from the Nez Perce. As on the coast, objects made of glassy
basalt were rare here, although it will be remembered that they were the
most common among chipped objects in the Thompson River region.[28] Mr.
James Teit believes that glassy basalt is scarce in the Yakima region
and that this is the reason why the prehistoric people there did not use
it extensively. Some agate, chalcedony and similar materials were used
in the Thompson River region, but while there is a great quantity of the
raw material of these substances there, the Indians say that the black
basalt was easier to work and quite as effective when finished. Several
small quarries of float quartz had been excavated and broken up to be
flaked at adjacent work shops, p. 16. River pebbles were made into net
sinkers, pestles, mortars, hammerstones, scrapers, clubs, slave killers,
sculptures, and similar objects, and were also used for covering some of
the graves in the knolls. Serpentine was used for celts and clubs; lava
for sculptures. Slate was used for ornamental or ceremonial tablets
steatite for ornaments and pipes, though rarely for pestles and other
objects; and impure limestone for pipes. Fragments of basaltic rock were
used for covering graves in the rock-slides and in some of the knolls.
Places on the basaltic columns and cliffs served as backgrounds upon
which pictures were made, some being pecked,[29] others painted.[30] No
objects made of mica or nephrite were found. Siliceous sandstone was
made into pestles, pipes and smoothers for arrow-shafts, but the last
were rare. Copper clay, white earth and red ochre were not found, but
red and white paint were seen on the basaltic cliffs and Mrs. Lynch
reports blue paint from a grave near Fort Simcoe (p. 117).
[26] See Fig. 5 and 202-8141, p. 154.
[27] Spinden, p. 184.
[28] Smith, (d) p. 132 and 135 (c) p. 407.
[29] See Plates XI-XIII.
[30] See Plates XIV-XVI.
Copper was used for beads, pendants and bracelets. While all of this
copper may have been obtained by barter from the whites, yet some of it
may have been native. Copper, according to Spinden, was probably not
known to the Nez Perce before the articles of civilization had reached
that region, but he states that large quantities of copper have been
taken from graves and that the edges of some of the specimens are
uneven, such as would be more likely to result from beating out a nugget
than from working a piece of cut sheet copper.[31] The glass beads, iron
bracelets,[32] and bangles,[33] the brass rolled beads,[34] brass
pendant[35] and the white metal inlay,[36] which we found, all came from
trade with the white race during recent times and do not belong to the
old culture.
[31] Spinden, p. 190.
[32] See Fig. 96.
[33] See Figs. 85 and 86.
[34] See Fig. 75.
[35] See Fig. 84.
[36] See Fig. 128.
Shells of the fresh water unio, in a bed five or six feet in diameter
and two or three inches thick, at the Priest Rapids village site and
described on p. 34 indicate that this animal had been used for food.
Shells of the little salt water clam (_Pectunculus_ 202-8388, Fig. 88),
haliotis (202-8234b, 8252, 8255, 8386, Figs. 89-92), dentalium
(202-8178, 8156, 8163, 8173, 8177-9, 8184, 8186-89, 8192-3, 8233, 8241,
8253, 8389, Figs. 74, 117, and 118) olivella (202-8393, Fig. 87), and
oyster (202-8170, Fig. 94) which were made into various ornaments must
have been obtained from the coast. No shells of _Pecten caurinus_ were
found.
Deer bones were seen in great numbers in the earth of a village site at
the head of Priest Rapids where they probably are the remains of
cooking. Animal bones were made into points for arrows or harpoon barbs,
awls and tubes that were probably used in gambling. Fish bones
(202-8387) found in the village sites suggest that fish were used for
food. No bones of the whale were found.
Antler was used for wedges, combs and as material upon which to carve.
Horns of the Rocky Mountain sheep were used for digging-stick handles.
Mountain sheep horns were secured by the Nez Perce who lived to the east
of the Yakima region, and were traded with Indians westward as far as
the Lower Columbia.[37] No objects made of teeth were found although a
piece of a beaver tooth (202-8189) was seen in grave No. 21, and Mrs.
Lynch reports elk teeth from a grave near Fort Simcoe (p. 119). Pieces
of thong, skin, fur, and feathers of the woodpecker, all of which were
probably used as articles of wearing apparel, were found in the graves
preserved by the action of copper salts or the dryness of the climate.
[37] Spinden, p. 223.
Wood was used as the hearth of a fire drill[38] and for a bow, a
fragment of which is shown in Fig. 114. Sticks which had not decayed in
this dry climate, marked some of the graves in the rock-slides (p. 140).
Charcoal was also found in the graves and village sites. A fragment of
birch bark, tightly rolled (202-8392) was found in a grave; roots were
woven into baskets;[39] rushes were stitched and woven into mats.[40]
[38] See Fig. 38.
[39] See Fig. 17.
[40] See Fig. 70-72.
THE SECURING OF FOOD.
_Points Chipped out of Stone._ Many implements used in procuring food
were found. In general, they are similar in character to those found in
the Thompson River Region.[41] The most numerous perhaps, were points of
various sizes and shapes, made by chipping and flaking, for arrows,
knives and spears. Many of these are small and finely wrought and most
of them are of bright colored agates, chalcedonies and similar stones.
As before mentioned, several small quarries of such material with
adjacent workshops were found. A very few specimens were made of glassy
basalt, and it will be remembered (p. 21) that this was the prevailing
material for chipped implements in the Thompson River region to the
north, where there was perhaps not such a great variety of material
used.[42] In the Nez Perce region to the east, according to Spinden, a
great variety of forms of arrow points chipped from stone of many kinds
is found,[43] and the extreme minuteness of some of them is noteworthy.
The war spear sometimes had a point of stone, usually lance-shaped, but
sometimes barbed.[44] He further states that iron supplanted flint and
obsidian at an early date, for the manufacture of arrow-heads.[45]
[41] Smith, (d) p. 135; and (c) p. 408.
[42] _Ibid._
[43] Cf. Spinden, Figs. 10-22, Plate VII.
[44] Spinden, p. 227.
[45] Spinden, p. 190.
No caches of chipped implements were found in the Yakima region. Judging
from the collections which I have seen, I am under the impression that
chipped points are not nearly so numerous in this region as they are
near The Dalles and in the Columbia Valley immediately south of this
area, and perhaps not even as numerous as in the Thompson River country
to the north. We found no fantastic forms such as were rather common in
the Thompson River country.[46] It will be remembered[47] that the art
of chipping stone was not extensively practised on the coast of British
Columbia or Washington, no specimens having been found in that area
north of Vancouver Island except at Bella Coola, where only two were
discovered. They were frequent at Saanich and in the Fraser Delta and
became still more common as one approached the mouth of the Columbia on
the west coast of Washington where, on the whole, they seem to resemble,
especially in the general character of the material, the chipped points
of the Columbia River Valley in the general region from Portland to The
Dalles.
[46] Smith, (d) p. 136; and (c) p. 409.
[47] Smith, (b) p. 437; (a) p. 190; (e) p. 564; and (f), p. 359.
[Illustration: Fig. 1 (202-8369). Chipped Point made of Chalcedony. From
the surface, near the head of Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat. size.]
The range of forms and sizes is well shown in Figs. 1 to 6 and in Plates
I and II.[48] The specimen shown in Fig. 1 is very small, apparently
made from a thin flake of chalcedony that has not been much chipped. Its
edges are slightly serrated and it was found on the surface near the
head of Priest Rapids. Deeply serrated points are found in the Nez Perce
region to the east, but they are unusual.[49] The one shown in Fig. 2 is
also made of chalcedony and is from the same place. It is larger and the
barbs are not so deep. The specimen shown in Fig. 3, chipped from white
chalcedony was found at the same place and may be considered as a knife
point rather than as an arrow point. The one shown in Fig. 4 is made of
petrified wood and has serrated edges. It was found at Priest Rapids and
is in the collection of Mr. Mires. Fig. 5 illustrates a point with a
straight base chipped from obsidian, one of the few made of this
material that have been found in the whole region. This is also from
Priest Rapids in the collection of Mr. Mires. The straight based
arrow-head is very common in the Nez Perce region.[50] The specimen
shown in Fig. 6 is leaf shaped, the base being broken off. It is made of
chert, was collected at Wallula near the Columbia River in Oregon by
Judge James Kennedy in 1882 and is in the James Terry collection of this
Museum. Plate I shows a rather large and crudely chipped point made of
basalt, from the surface near the head of Priest Rapids on the bank of
the Columbia River. The second is made of red jasper and the third of
white chert. They were found near the head of Priest Rapids, the latter
also on the bank of the river. These three specimens may be considered
as finished or unfinished spear or knife points. The specimens shown in
Plate II are more nearly of the average size. The first is made of buff
jasper and was found on the surface at Kennewick. It is slightly
serrated. The second is made of brownish fissile jasper and was found in
grave No. 10 (5) in a rock-slide near the mouth of the Naches River. The
third, chipped from mottled quartz was found in grave No. 28 (21) near
the skull in a rock-slide about three miles west of the mouth of Cowiche
Creek. The fourth of white quartzite is also from grave No. 28 (21) near
the skull. The breadth of the base of these last two specimens and the
notches would facilitate their being fastened very securely in an
arrow-shaft, while the basal points would probably project far enough
beyond the shaft to make serviceable barbs. The fifth specimen, chipped
from brown chert was found among the refuse of a fire in grave No. 1, in
a rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. The sixth is made of glassy basalt and
is remarkable for having two sets of notches. It is rather large, which
suggests that it may have served as a knife point. It is from the head
of Priest Rapids and was collected and presented by Mrs. J. B. Davidson.
Double notched arrow points are found in the Nez Perce region.[51] The
seventh is chipped from pale fulvous chalcedony and is from the surface
at the same place. The eighth is chipped from similar material and was
found near by. The ninth is made of opaline whitish chalcedony and is
from the same place. The tenth is chipped from yellow agate, and
somewhat resembles a drill, while the eleventh is of brown horn stone,
both of them being from the surface near the head of Priest Rapids.
[48] Photographs by Mr. Wm. C. Orchard.
[49] Cf. Spinden, Fig. 16, Plate VII.
[50] Cf. Spinden, Fig. 14, Plate VII.
[51] Cf. Spinden, Fig. 15, Plate VII.
[Illustration: Fig. 2 (202-8364). Chipped Point made of Chalcedony. From
the surface, near the head of Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat. size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 3 (202-8336). Chipped Point made of White
Chalcedony. From the surface, near the head of Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat.
size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 4. Serrated Chipped Point made of Petrified Wood.
From Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch. Original in the
collection of Mr. Mires.)]
The twelfth which is chipped from clove brown jasper was found on the
surface of the Cherry Creek camp site near Ellensburg. The thirteenth is
made of reddish white chert and was found on the surface near the mouth
of Wenas Creek. The fourteenth is of pale yellow chalcedony and comes
from the surface near the head of Priest Rapids. Most of these specimens
seem to be suitable for arrow points, although some of them probably
served for use as knives.
[Illustration: Fig. 5. Chipped Point made of Obsidian. From Priest
Rapids. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch. Original in the collection
of Mr. Mires.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 6. (T-21184, II-180.) Fragment of a leaf-shaped
Point made of Chert. From Wallula near the Columbia River, Oregon.
Collected by Judge James Kennedy in 1882. 1/2 nat. size.]
_Points Rubbed out of Stone._ No points rubbed out of stone have been
found in this region, although it will be remembered that two such
points were found in the Thompson River region[52] and were thought to
represent an intrusion from the coast where they were common as in the
Fraser Delta[53] at both Port Hammond and Eburne where they are more
than one half as numerous as the chipped points, and at Comox[54] where
at least seven of this type to three chipped from stone were found.
They were also found at Saanich,[55] where they were in proportion of
nineteen to twenty-four, near Victoria[56] and on the San Juan
Islands.[57]
[52] Smith, (c), p. 409.
[53] Smith, (a), pp. 141 and 143.
[54] Smith, (b), p. 308.
[55] Smith, (b), p. 332.
[56] P. 357 and 358, _ibid._
[57] P. 380, _ibid._
_Points Rubbed out of Bone._ Points rubbed out of bone which were so
common on the coast everywhere, but rare in the Thompson River country
are still more scarce here. Only ten specimens from the whole region can
be identified as clearly intended for the points or barbs of arrows,
harpoon heads or spears. The types are shown in Figs. 7 to 12. The first
was found in the west, northwest part of grave No. 10 (5) in a
rock-slide about a half mile above the mouth of the Naches River. It is
nearly circular in cross section, 31 mm. long with a point only 6 mm. in
length and was apparently intended for a salmon harpoon head, similar to
those used in the Thompson River region[58] both in ancient and modern
times but which are much more common on the coast. The specimen shown in
Fig. 8 is circular in cross section and was seen in the collection of
Mrs. Davidson. It is from Kennewick and is of the shape of one of the
most frequent types of bone points found in the Fraser Delta.[59] The
specimen shown in Fig. 9 was found with three others in grave No. 1 in a
rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. This and two of the others were
scorched. They are circular in cross section and sharp at both ends but
the upper end is much the more slender. The point shown in Fig. 10
somewhat resembles these, but it is slightly larger and tends to be
rectangular in cross section except at the base. It was found with a
similar specimen in a grave on the Snake River, five miles above its
mouth, and was collected and presented by Mr. Owen who still has the
other specimen. Diagonal striations may still be seen on its much
weathered brown surface. These were probably caused by rubbing it on a
stone in its manufacture. A slightly different type of bone point is
shown in Figs. 11 and 12. These seem to be barbs for fish spears such as
were found in the Thompson River region,[60] among both ancient and
modern specimens. The one shown in Fig. 11 has traces of the marrow
canal on the reverse. It was found in the Yakima Valley below Prosser
and is in the collection of Mr. Spalding. While the specimen shown in
Fig. 12 is from the surface near the head of Priest Rapids.
[58] Smith, (c), p. 410; Teit, (a), Fig. 231.
[59] Cf. Smith, (a), Fig. _13h_.
[60] Smith, (c), p. 410; Teit, (a), Fig. 232.
Bone points and barbs were used in the Nez Perce region to the east,
where three types of spears with bone points were known, two of them at
least being similar to those found in the Thompson River region to the
north.[61] The war spears sometimes had a point of bone, usually
lance-shaped, but sometimes barbed.[62]
[61] Spinden, p. 189 and Fig. 5^s, ^10, ^11.
[62] Spinden, p. 227.
[Illustration: Fig. 7 (202-8165). Point made of Bone. From the W., N. W.
part of grave No. 10 (5) in a rock-slide about half a mile above the
mouth of Naches River. 1/2 nat. size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 8. Point made of Bone. From Kennewick. 1/2 nat.
size. (Drawn from a sketch. Original in the collection of Mrs.
Davidson.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 9 (202-8143). Scorched Point made of Bone. From
grave No. 1 in a rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. 1/2 nat. size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 10 (20.0-1468). Point made of Bone. Found in a grave
on an island in the Snake River, five miles above its mouth, 1/2 nat.
size. (Collected and presented by Mr. Owen.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 11. Point or Barb made of Bone. From the Yakima
Valley below Prosser. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch. Original in
the collection of Mr. Spalding.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 12 (202-8381). Point or Barb made of Bone. From the
surface, near the head of Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat. size.]
_Bows._ The only information which we have regarding bows is from the
specimen shown in Fig. 114. The object seems to be a fragment of a bow
which was lenticular in cross section although rather flat. It is
slightly bent and the concave side bears transverse incisions. (p. 125.)
The specimen was found in grave No. 10 (5) in a rock-slide about one
hundred and fifty feet up the slope on the north side of the Naches
River, about half a mile above its mouth. The presence of several
perishable objects in the grave suggest it to be modern, but no objects
of white manufacture were found. This is the only object indicating the
sort of bow used in this region and with the exception of the chipped
points previously described, some of which were undoubtedly for arrows,
is the only archaeological object tending to prove the use of the bow.
It will be remembered[63] that fragments of a bow of lenticular cross
section ornamented with parallel irregularly arranged cuneiform
incisions, were found in a grave near Nicola Lake in the Thompson River
region and that pieces of wood, some of which may have been part of a
bow, were found in a grave at the mouth of Nicola Lake; also that pieces
of wood found at Kamloops resemble a bow of the type shown in Fig. 220
of Mr. Teit's paper on the present Thompson Indians.[64]
In the Nez Perce region to the east, war clubs with heads made of
unworked river boulders, according to Spinden,[65] were sometimes used
in killing game and such may have been the case in this region.
[63] Smith, (c), p. 411.
[64] Teit, (a), Fig. 216.
[65] Spinden, p. 188 and 227, also Fig. 5^5.
_Snares._ Fragments of thongs, skin, fur and woodpecker feathers merely
suggest methods of hunting or trapping which are not proven by any of
our finds. It is barely possible although not probable that the bone
tubes considered to have been used in gambling and illustrated in Figs.
97 and 98 and also the perforated cylinder of serpentine shown in Fig.
99 may be portions of snares. Traps and snares of various kinds were
common among the Indians of the larger plateau area of which this is a
part.[66]
[66] Lewis, p. 182.
Mr. J. S. Cotton informs me that in the vicinity of Mr. Turner's home,
Section 6, Town north 18, Range 40 east, on Rock Creek, about six miles
below Rock Lake, and in the vicinity of the graves described on p. 140
and the so-called fort mentioned on p. 82, there is a long line of
stones running from Rock Creek in a southeasterly direction across the
coule to a small draw on the other side. This chain of rocks is about
five miles long. The stones have evidently sunk into the ground and
show signs of having been there a long time. They have been in the same
condition since about 1874 when first seen by the whites, even the
oldest Indians claiming to know nothing about them. According to Lewis,
game was surrounded and driven in by a large number of hunters or was
run down by horses, in the great area of which this is part.[67] It
seems altogether probable that a line of stone heaps may have been made
to serve either as a line of scarecrows, possibly to support flags or
similar objects, which would have the effect of a fence to direct the
flight of the game or as a guide to enable the hunters to drive the game
towards a precipice where it would be killed, or a corral where it would
be impounded.
[67] Lewis, p. 182; Ross, (a), p. 316; De Smet III, p. 1026; Lewis
and Clark, IV, p. 371.
_Notched Sinkers._ Sinkers for fish nets or lines were made of
disk-shaped river pebbles. A pebble and the different types of sinkers
are shown in Fig. 13. These were numerous on the surface of the beach of
the Columbia River near the head of Priest Rapids. They have two or four
notches chipped from each side in the edges. When there are two, the
notches are usually at each end; when there are four, they are at the
end and side edges. Sometimes, the notches are so crudely made that the
edge of the pebble is simply roughened so that a string tied about it at
this place would hold. One of these sinkers from Priest Rapids was seen
in Mr. Mires' collection.
_Grooved Sinkers._ Some large thick pebbles have grooves pecked around
their shortest circumference. They may have been used as canoe smashers
or anchors, but seem more likely to be net sinkers. Two of these are
shown in Figs. 14 and 15. They are from Priest Rapids and are in the
collection of Mr. Mires. Both are battered along the lower edge, from
the groove on the left to within a very short distance of it on the
right and over a considerable portion of the edge of the top. In the
second specimen, this battering forms a considerable groove on the lower
edge, but a groove only the size of those shown in the illustration on
the upper edge. This battering suggests that they may have been used as
hammers, but the battered ends of hammers are not often grooved. There
are certain grooves pecked on one side of each which seem to be of a
decorative or ceremonial significance and are consequently discussed on
p. 132 under the section devoted to art. The first specimen is made of
granite or yellow quartzite with mica, the second is of granite or
yellowish gray quartz with augite and feldspar. One specimen similar to
these two, but without any decoration or grooving (202-8116) was found
by us on the beach at Kennewick as was also a large pebble grooved
nearly around the shortest circumference (202-8332) at Priest Rapids.
One object of this type made of a boulder but grooved around the longest
circumference was seen in Mr. Owen's collection. It was found on the
bank of the Columbia River two miles below Pasco. The specimen described
on p. 60 which has a notch pecked in each side edge and is battered
slightly on one end may have been used as a net sinker, although it has
been considered a hammer. This specimen (202-8214) in a way resembles
the small flat notched sinkers except that the notch is pecked instead
of chipped and that it is larger and thicker in proportion. Other
specimens which are considered as net sinkers, anchors or "canoe
smashers" instead of being grooved, are perforated by a hole which
tapers from each side and has apparently been made by pecking. Sometimes
this hole is in the center, while in other cases it passes through one
end. Fig. 16 illustrates such a specimen. It was found at Priest Rapids
and is in the collection of Mr. Mires. It is made from a river pebble of
yellowish-gray volcanic rock. The perforation is in the broadest end. A
similar specimen perforated near one end and one pierced near the middle
were seen in Mr. Owen's collection. He believes that these were used for
killing fish, an Indian having told him that such stones were thrown at
the fish and retrieved with a cord which was tied through the hole.
Probably all of these were sinkers for nets or at least anchors for the
ends of nets, set lines or for small boats.
[Illustration: Fig. 13 _a_ (202-8296), _b_ (202-8318), _c_ (202-8313),
_d_ (202-8330). Pebble and Net Sinkers made of Pebbles. From the surface
of the bank of Columbia River, near the head of Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat.
size.
Fig. 14. Sinker, a Grooved Boulder bearing a Design in Intaglio. From
Priest Rapids, 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from photograph 44536, 9-2.
Original in the collection of Mr. Mires.)]