marked a small lodge site was examined and photographed. The stones were
no doubt cleared from the interior and all or part of these possibly
with others, were no doubt used to hold down the lodge covers. Although
I saw no such circle of stones in the Thompson River region I am
informed by Mr. Teit that they are occasionally to be seen there and
that they represent old lodge sites. The circle of stones
above-mentioned as described on p. 15 was found on a terrace somewhat
lower than the one on which were situated the remains of the two
semi-subterranean houses described on p. 52. This terrace is a few yards
down stream from the one on which they stand, and is separated from it
by a small ravine. The site is a little further down the stream and
towards the southeast. It is shown in Fig. 1, Plate IV,[138] from the
point on the hillside a few feet above it to the north, shown on the
lower end of the slope in Fig. 2, Plate IV and in negative nos. 44491,
5-4, and 44492, 5-5. This circle of stones on the level ground was made
up of angular rocks such as are scattered on the immediate surface. It
measures ten by eleven feet in diameter inside; fifteen by seventeen
feet from the top of the circle; and twenty-two by twenty-three feet
over all. The top of the highest stones was from fourteen to twelve
inches above the middle of the space enclosed which as before stated,
seemed to be on a level with the outside, all measuring being east to
west and north to south respectively. Among the rocks was found a
chipped piece of jasper or brown chalcedony.
[138] Museum negative no. 44482, 4-7 from the north.
No saucer-shaped depressions were seen in the Yakima region, although it
is quite probable that they formerly existed and have been obliterated
by weathering. It will be remembered that such saucer-shaped depressions
are often made by sweeping out the summer lodges in the Thompson River
region[139] and that they marked the sites of such houses.
[139] Smith, (c), p. 405.
Two summer lodges photographed[140] by us near Ellensburg which were
mentioned on page 12 and the one seen below Union Gap down stream from
Old Yakima, resemble those of the Thompson River region to the north. It
will be remembered that mat covered tipis are found in the Nez Perce
region to the east.[141] Lewis and Clark[142] mention but one buffalo
skin lodge among the Nez Perce in 1806 and that was apparently reserved
for special occasions, but a few years later this type of lodge had
practically supplanted the mat lodge among that tribe and was in common
use among all the interior Salish and Sahaptin tribes. The mat houses of
the Yakima are mentioned by Gibbs in the Pacific Railroad Reports.[143]
[140] Summer lodge, covered with cloth, Japanese matting and Indian
matting July, 1903; East of Ellensburg. Museum negatives no. 44523,
8-1 from the southeast; no. 44524, 8-2, from the west; and no.
44525, 8-3 a nearer view; and summer lodge covered with cloth, July
1903, in the northern part of Ellensburg, Museum negative no. 44526,
8-4 from the east.
[141] Spinden, Fig. 6, Plate X.
[142] Lewis and Clark, V, p. 16.
[143] Gibbs, (a), I, p. 407.
A pile of stones shown in Fig. 2, Plate V[144] and mentioned on p. 20 as
uncovered by the wash of the flood waters of the Columbia, was seen on
the bottom-lands on the western side of the Columbia, south of Sentinal
Bluffs and within a hundred feet north of the house of Mr. Britain
Everette Craig. It is possible that this may have been a house hearth or
ancient cooking place, although the presence of human bones among these
stones, suggests that it was a grave covered with flat oval river
pebbles. Near by, uncovered by the same wash, was a small patch of fresh
water unio shells shown from the west of south in Fig. 1, Plate V.[145]
This was probably kitchen refuse. The little pits, each encircled with a
slight embankment made up of the soil thrown out in making it, p. 15,
are probably the remains of food caches near the houses.
[144] Museum negative no. 44530, 8-8 from the southwest.
[145] Museum negative no. 44531, 8-9 from the west of south.
TOOLS USED BY MEN.
A number of objects which seem to be tools intended to be used by men
are found in this region. Among these may be mentioned a wedge,
hammerstones, a celt, a hand-adze, drills, scrapers, and an arrow-shaft
smoother.
_Wedges._ Wedges made of antler were not frequently found by us as in
the Thompson River region,[146] although according to Lewis, elk horn
wedges or chisels were used for splitting wood in the general plateau
region of which this is a part.[147] One specimen, however (202-8378b),
was found on the surface near the head of Priest Rapids, which is
apparently a longitudinal fragment of a wedge broken off at the top and
cut by longitudinal grooving along one edge, the other edge being a
portion of the surface of the wedge formed by cutting convexly across
the antler. The specimen is bleached from exposure on the surface.
Another wedge, shown in Fig. 39, was found on the surface near the
Columbia River below the mouth of the Snake. It is made of antler which
has since been bleached from exposure on the surface of the ground.
[146] Smith, (d), p. 141; (c), p. 414.
[147] Lewis, p. 186.
[Illustration: Fig. 39 (20.0-1464). Wedge made of Antler. From the
surface near the Columbia River below the Mouth of the Snake. 1/2 nat.
size. (Collected and presented by Mr. Owen.)]
The top was partly cut off and then broken across, while one side edge
shows where the antler was grooved lengthwise for over half its length,
from the inner surface and then broken out. This shows that the process
of cutting up pieces of antler in this region was similar to that
employed in cutting both antler and nephrite, in the Thompson River
region and on the coast of British Columbia and Washington. It has since
been battered. One side shows the nearly flat outer surface of part of
the antler, the other has been cut off to form the wedge, which is
constricted towards the point so that it assumes a somewhat spatulate
form. This specimen is twisted, until the point is in a plane about 45°
from the poll. It was collected by Mr. Owen who believes it to have been
used as a spatula for grinding paint upon the surface of a rock. Wedges
made of elk antler are common in the Nez Perce region where they are
said to have almost completely supplanted celts.[148]
[148] Spinden, pp. 182 and 189, Fig. 5^7.
Although no wedges were found by us in the Yakima Valley proper, and we
can mention only these two specimens in the whole Yakima region yet it
seems probable that they were here used and for the same purposes as in
the Thompson River region to the north, the Nez Perce area to the east
and on the coast to the west for splitting timber, for cutting firewood
and for general carpenter work. Perhaps their relative scarcity here, as
compared with the Thompson and the Nez Perce country, may be explained
by supposing that wooden wedges, such as are more common than antler
wedges on the coast, and which may have decayed were here used more than
those made of antler.
While the stone hammers or pestles with convex bases, which are
described on p. 39 et seq. were probably largely used for crushing food
and other material; yet some of them and those with concave bases, were
undoubtedly sometimes used as hammers for driving wedges, setting
stakes, pinning out skins and for similar purposes.
_Hammerstones._ The deeply pitted hammer, such as is found in the
Mississippi Valley, was not seen here, and it will be remembered[149]
that they were not found in the Thompson River region. Tough pebbles,
however, were used for pounding. At the quarry shop mentioned on p. 16,
we found a number of pebbles that were evidently used in breaking up the
material out of which to make chipped implements. One of these
(202-8129) is merely a water-worn pebble, 73 mm. long, an edge of which
has been broken off, and a sharp corner shows signs of its having been
used as a hammer, as it has been battered and shows where one large chip
has come off. It will be remembered that in the vicinity of the shop
where the specimen was found, pebbles were rarely if ever seen, although
the surface of the ground was covered with weathered fragments of
volcanic rock. Another specimen (202-8127) found at the same place,
shown southeast of the quarry pit, in Fig. 1, Plate III, is 155 mm. long
and of a rather irregular cross section. The ends are battered and
fractured from use. Apparently it may have been held between the two
hands and used in breaking off large pieces of material. A longer hammer
pebble, bearing the same catalogue number, and found at the same place,
shows on the top of the quarry dump to the left centre in Fig. 1, Plate
III. It is about 270 mm. long. In cross section it tends to be
triangular with rounded corners. The ends are battered and long slivers
have been broken off. The specimen shown in Fig. 40 is from the same
place, shorter, but similar in that the section is sub-triangular and
that each end is both battered and slivered. Other battered pebbles and
fragments slivered from them were found at the same place. The
hammerstone shown in Fig. 41 was found on the surface near the head of
Priest Rapids. It is an oval pebble, nearly twice as wide as it is
thick, of yellowish brown color, which has been used for a hammer, as is
indicated by the battered and chipped condition of its ends.
[149] Smith, (d), p. 142; (c), pp. 415 and 440, Fig. 38.
[Illustration: Fig. 40 (202-8128). Hammerstone. From quarry on north
side of Naches River about two miles above its mouth. 1/2 nat. size.]
Another specimen, shown in Fig. 42, is made of a hard, dark green or
bluish, water-worn pebble. It was found in the Snake River Valley,
twenty miles above the mouth of the river, and is in the collection of
Mr. Owen. Both ends are battered and the margins of the battered
surfaces are chipped. Mr. Owen says such objects were used in pecking
pestles, mortars, and similar implements into shape. Fig. 43 illustrates
one of these hammerstones, found on the surface at Kennewick. It is a
part of a pebble of tough dark blue material, apparently glassy basalt.
One side edge and one end have been chipped and show large scars on each
side of the side edge and several on one side of the top. Near the
middle of one side, and opposite it on the other side edge, there are
signs of pecking which suggest an attempt at grooving. The lower corner
of the pebble shows signs of having been used as a hammer for pecking. A
small spatulate pebble slightly curved (202-8215), found at the same
place, is battered entirely around the edge of its larger end and in one
place on the side of the narrow end. The battering has given it a smooth
surface in places which suggests that it was used for pecking, rather
than chipping. A large, rather flat, oval pebble (202-8213) from the
same place has large chips off from both sides of its edge in three
places, three fourths of its edge being so chipped. This seems more
likely to be a hammerstone used for chipping.
[Illustration: Fig. 41 (202-8292a). Hammerstone. From the surface, near
the head of Priest Rapids, 1/2 nat. size.]
[Illustration: Fig. 42. Hammerstone made of a Hard, Water-worn Pebble.
From Snake River Valley twenty miles above its mouth. 1/2 nat. size.
(Drawn from a sketch. Original in the collection of Mr. Owen.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 43 (202-8119). Hammerstone. From the surface,
Kennewick. 1/2 nat. size.]
The long, narrow, oval pebble, shown in Fig. 44, is about 140 mm. long,
of a yellow, volcanic, coarse-grained rock, and is in the collection of
Mr. Austin Mires of Ellensburg. This was found at Priest Rapids. The top
is battered and slightly chipped, the other end has been battered to a
rather flat edge, and this battered surface extends one half way up one
side of the specimen and two thirds of the way up the other.[150] A
large flat oval pebble (202-8214), found on the Cherry Creek camp site,
has a notch pecked in each side edge and is battered slightly on one
end. It may have been notched for hafting as a hammer, or for use as a
net sinker, but the battered end suggests the former use. These pebbles
which have been used as hammerstones, remind us of the unbattered
pebbles found with pieces of glassy basalt in certain caches near
Kamloops.[151] Pebbles used as hammerstones are also found in the Nez
Perce region to the east[152] and according to Lewis stone hammers were
used for splitting wood in the general plateau region of which this is a
part.[153]
[150] Museum negative, no. 44534, 8-2.
[151] Described by Smith, (c), p. 415.
[152] Spinden, p. 188.
[153] Lewis, p. 186; Lewis and Clark, III, p. 124.
A pebble, oval in outline and in cross section (202-8303), found on the
surface of the bank of the Columbia River, near the head of Priest
Rapids, is battered on one side edge near the middle in a way that
suggests that the place was for the reception of the end of a handle.
The lower edge is battered and the top has a large chip off of each
side. It was probably used as a hammerstone. Another flat oval pebble of
lava (202-8305) found at the same place, is chipped on both sides of the
entire edge; but the edge is not sharp, apparently having been dulled by
scraping, the natural sand blast or weathering. A disk or
sub-oblong-shaped pebble (202-8304) also found at the same place is
chipped from one side only across the entire edge at a slight bevel so
that it has a nearly flat edge. The high places of the edge are smoothed
as if from its use in pecking, yet it does not seem to have been much
used for such a purpose or to need to have been chipped into disk form
for that use.
None of the pebbles which were notched and supposed to be net sinkers,
as mentioned on p. 30 and that were found in this region, show battered
ends or appear as if they had been used as hammers. On the other hand,
some of the grooved pebbles described as net sinkers are battered, p.
30. It will be remembered[154] that no notched hammers or those grooved
entirely around, like those found here, were found in the Thompson River
region, although a pebble which had been notched or grooved on two edges
was found and figured as a hammer.[155] Nor was the grooved stone maul
used by the Nez Perce to the east according to Spinden[156] although
many specimens are found on the Umatilla in northern Oregon to the
south.[157]
[154] Smith, (c), p. 415.
[155] _Ibid._, Fig. 347.
[156] Spinden, p. 188.
[157] Lewis, p. 186; Lewis and Clark, III, p. 124.
[Illustration: Fig. 44. Hammerstone made of a Close-Grained Yellow
Volcanic Pebble. From Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from
photograph 44534, 8-2. Original in the collection of Mr. Mires.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 45. Celt made of Serpentine. From an Indian at
Ellensburg. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from photograph 44507, 6-8. Original
in the collection of Mr. McCandless.)]
_Celts._ Celts made of stone such as were common in the Thompson River
region[158] were not found by us in the Yakima region; but one typical
specimen which apparently resembles the celts found on Puget Sound, more
than it does those found in the Thompson River region is shown in Fig.
45. It may be seen in the collection of Mr. McCandless who secured it
from an Indian at Ellensburg. This celt is made of serpentine and is
190 mm. long.[159] A similar specimen, in the same collection, resembles
this one but shows grooves along the side edges by means of which it was
cut out. There is a celt made of green serpentine, only about 3 mm.
thick in the collection of Mr. Owen, but it was found at Umatilla,
Oregon.
[158] Smith, (d), p. 142; (c), p. 415.
[159] Museum negative no. 44507, 6-8.
Celts of jadeite (?) narrow and oblong were found on Snake River above
Lewiston in the Nez Perce region to the east.[160] Spinden states that
these were evidently acquired by trade from natives of the northwest
coast and that they have been cut by grooving and breaking. Also, that
this method and material was not employed by the Nez Perce who
considered the objects to have been used as wedges. I am inclined to
believe, therefore, that these more nearly resemble the celts of the
Thompson River country[161] than they do those of the coast. At least
one celt of this general style has been found near Lake Chelan lying
between the Thompson River region and both the Yakima and Nez Perce
regions. It is a long stone celt and was found in an ancient grave on
the bank of the Chelan River near the house of Hon. Amos Edmunds, of
Chelan, Washington. In the graves of this group, according to Mr. C. G.
Ridout, who cooperated with Mr. Edmunds in excavating at this place, and
from whom all of our information on this specimen was obtained, stone
knives and skinning and scraping tools were found. This celt is of a
mottled green "marble resembling onyx" (probably serpentine or nephrite)
400 mm. long, 47 mm. wide and 15 mm. thick. It is slightly concave on
the two sides, while one side edge is flat and the other is concavely
bevelled. The poll is of the natural unworked stone and judging from the
drawing furnished by Mr. Ridout, was broken off. It is raggedly
diagonal. The cutting edge is sharpened by long convexly ground surfaces
of nearly equal size and curve. The bevel of the side edge suggests that
the material for the celt was cut out by grooving and breaking as was
the case in the Thompson River region, where the celts showed similar
traces of grooving.[162] It is true that similar grooving may be seen on
celts from the Coast, but in that region the celts are short, while in
the Thompson River area they are long like this one and the material is
more often of the mottled green color than on the coast. The specimen is
owned by Mr. Edmunds and is in the collection of Mr. Ridout.
[160] Spinden, p. 182 and Figs. 1, 2, Plate IX.
[161] Smith, (c), Fig. 349.
[162] Cf. Smith, (c), Fig. 349.
No pieces of antler or other material which may possibly have served as
celt hafts were found in this region, although it will be remembered
that one specimen, thought possibly to have been such, was found at
Kamloops in the Thompson River[163] region, another in the Lillooet
Valley[164] and that celt hafts made of antler were common on the coast
at Port Hammond,[165] Comox,[166] Saanich,[167] and Utsalady.[168] A
piece of antler (202-8378a), found on the surface near the head of
Priest Rapids, is much bleached and shows signs of having been daubed
with red paint. It consists of a piece which has been cut around below a
fork with some sharp instrument and then broken off. The prongs seem to
be simply broken off.
[163] Smith, (c), Fig. 348, p. 115.
[164] Teit, (b), Fig. 66.
[165] Smith, (a), Figs. 29 and 59.
[166] Smith, (b), Fig. 107.
[167] _Ibid._, Figs. 129-130.
[168] _Ibid._, Fig. 157.
[Illustration: Fig. 46. Hand-Adze made of Stone. From the surface in an
old burial ground of the Indians near the mouth of the Yakima River on
McNeals Island. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from photographs 44503, 6-4,
44452, 2-1. Original catalogue No. 25 in the collection of Mr. Janeck.)]
_Hand-Adze._ Only one hand-adze has been found in this area, so far as I
am aware. It is catalogue No. 25 in the collection of Mr. Janeck, made
of stone and found near the surface of an old burial ground of the
Indians near the mouth of the Yakima River on what is known as McNeals
Island. This specimen is shown in Fig. 46, and is 165 mm. long, 228 mm.
in greatest circumference which is around the part corresponding to the
edge of the striking head of a pestle, 37 mm. in diameter at the top and
37 mm. along the edge of the blade. It is made of rock resembling
diorite or diabase. The natural surface of the pebble from which it was
made shows on the ridge of the striking head of the pestle-like part.
The convex side of the celt-like part of the object is very smooth. This
is apparently partly due to the fact that it presents the smooth natural
surface of the pebble from which the object was made, and also to more
or less friction which must have been received here when in use. It
probably served as an adze. This specimen is perhaps the most ideal form
of this type that I have seen, the upper end comparing closely to a
pestle, with a slight indication of a knob at the top, a flaring body,
and a short striking head, the sides of which extend as a ridge nearly
if not entirely around the specimen. The celt-like part is to one side
of the axis, so that one side expands to meet the ridge above
mentioned, forming a concavity; the other contracts to meet it forming
a convex sweep from the cutting edge to the beginning of the body of the
pestle-like part.[169] Such hand-adzes have been found at Portland,
Columbia Slough about ten miles below Portland,[2] and Mr. E. D.
Zimmerman of Philadelphia has informed me that there are five or six
specimens of this type in his collection but the discovery of this
specimen at McNeals Island marks the most eastern occurrence of this
type, so far as I know at present.[170]
[169] Museum negatives nos. 44452, 2-1 and 44503, 6-4.
[170] First mentioned on pp. 303-304, Noteworthy Archaeological
Specimens from Lower Columbia Valley, by Harlan I. Smith, American
Anthropologist, (N. S.) Vol. VIII, No. 2, April-June, 1906.
_Whetstones._ Whetstones, recognized as such, are rare in the Yakima
region but a fragment (202-8217) of a sandstone pebble, which is
apparently rubbed on the irregular sides was found on the surface of the
little camp site, west of Cherry Creek, near Ellensburg. It probably
served as a rough whetstone or for grinding implements into shape.
The cigar-shaped object made of friable stone, shown in Fig. 69, and
considered on p. 81 as a war implement or "slave-killer," is suitable
for use as a whetstone and may have been such. The object thought to be
a whetstone shown in Fig. 120, is in the collection of Mr. Janeck, and
is said to be from the Yakima Valley. It is made of friable slate; the
top is broken off. It is 142 mm. long, 18 mm. wide and 6 mm. thick with
rounded edges. The circle and dot design incised on the specimen is
described on p. 131. It would seem that use as a whetstone would destroy
the design.[171] From the whole region, I have seen only these three
specimens that can be considered as whetstones. This scarcity seems
somewhat remarkable when we consider their abundance in the Thompson
River region,[172] and also on the coast at Port Hammond and Eburne in
the Fraser Delta,[173] Comox,[174] North Saanich[175] Victoria,[176] New
Dungeness,[177] and Port Williams.[178]
[171] Museum negative no. 44503, 6-4.
[172] Smith, (d), p. 144; (c), p. 417.
[173] Smith (a), p. 167.
[174] Smith (b), p. 312
[175] _Ibid._, p. 339.
[176] _Ibid._, p. 360.
[177] _Ibid._, p. 389.
[178] _Ibid._, p. 392.
Beaver teeth sharpened for use as knives, such as were found in the
Thompson River region,[179] were not found by us in this whole area any
more than in the Fraser Delta,[180] although they were present at
Comox,[181] and though not certainly identified at both Saanich[182] and
Burton.[183] However, a beaver tooth was found (202-8189) in cremation
rectangle No. 21 (16) on the flat overlooking the mouth of the Naches
River. Objects that are considered as knife handles, such as were found
at Lytton,[184] though not certainly at Kamloops[185] were absent here
as in the Fraser Delta.[186] Objects made of bone or antler and thought
to have been used for flaking stone implements were also absent.
[179] Smith (d), p. 144; (c). p. 417.
[180] Smith (a), p. 168.
[181] Smith (b), p. 318.
[182] _Ibid._, p. 346.
[183] _Ibid._, p. 398.
[184] Smith (d), Fig. 50.
[185] Smith (c), p. 418.
[186] Smith (a), p. 168.
[Illustration: Fig. 47 (202-8398). Point for a Drill, chipped from
Chalcedony. From the head of Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat. size. (Collected by
Mrs. J. B. Davidson.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 48 (202-8370). Point for a Drill, chipped from
Chert. From the surface, near the head of Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat. size.]
_Drills._ Drill points chipped from stone are perhaps less abundant in
the Yakima country than in the Thompson River region[187] to the north.
They are found of various shapes in the Nez Perce region[188] to the
east but it will be remembered that they were not certainly identified
among finds from the coast.[189] The specimen shown in Fig. 47, was
collected at the head of Priest Rapids, and presented by Mrs. J. B.
Davidson of Ellensburg. It is chipped from a grayish chalcedony. The
shaft is rather blunt at the end, possibly having been broken off, and
is somewhat lozenge-shaped in cross section although one side has a less
pronounced ridge than the other which causes the section to tend towards
the sub-triangular. The base expands sidewise and is somewhat thinner at
the end than at the shaft although it is thicker than the point. A point
somewhat similar in shape, but 57 mm. long, chipped from white
chalcedony, and found at Priest Rapids, was seen in the collection of
Mr. Austin Mires. Another drill point chipped from black trap, 48 mm.
long, and also found at Priest Rapids, was seen in the same collection.
The shaft expands sidewise into a base of the form of a truncated
triangle which is rather thin. Fig. 48 shows a drill point chipped from
reddish brown chert that was found on the surface near the head of
Priest Rapids. The upper portion resembles the first-mentioned specimen
and the lower part is somewhat similar to it but more lenticular in
cross section. In other words, the implement is either double-pointed or
it was intended to chip away the lower part. The lower point is so well
chipped to form that it seems more likely to be a double-pointed drill.