Part 3

[21] Further described under the subject of art on p. 119 and shown in Plates XIV-XVI.

In the Cowiche Valley, there are several rock-slide graves, but these seem to have been rifled. Northeast of the fair grounds at North Yakima, the remains of an underground house are said to exist. A short distance east of Tampico, about 18 miles above the mouth of the Ahtanum, on the north side of the river and east of the road from the north where it meets the river road and immediately across it from the house of Mr. Sherman Eglin, was a grave located in a volcanic dome left by the wind, which Mr. Eglin pointed out to us. The site is about 600 feet north of the north branch of the Ahtanum and about fifteen feet above the level of the river. A pile of rocks about eight feet in diameter covered this grave, No. 25, p. 160. On the land of Mr. A. D. Eglin, between the above-mentioned grave and Tampico on the north side of the road were seen the signs of two graves, destroyed by plowing. Near here, an oblong mound six or eight inches high and ten feet wide by eight feet long, supposedly covering a grave, marked by a stone on the level at each side and each end, 12 and 16 feet apart respectively was reported by Mr. Eglin's son. A little distance further north and up the slope of the land, were a number of volcanic ash heaps left by the wind. The surrounding land is what is locally known as "scab land." In some of these knolls, graves have been found and one which has been explored is shown in Fig. 2, Plate IX. It is located near the pasture gate, and was marked by a circle of stones as shown in the figure. On excavating, nothing was found. It is possible that the remains were entirely disintegrated. Graves in rock-slides on hill sides, and a village site near this place were reported by Mr. Eglin's son. Along the north side of Ahtanum Creek between Ahtanum and Tampico, below the rim rock of the uplands parallel to the creek are a number of rock-slide graves.

On the western side of Union Gap, through which the Yakima River flows, below the mouth of Ahtanum Creek, a short distance below Old Yakima, on a little flat or terrace projecting from the south side of Rattle Snake Range is a modern Indian cemetery surrounded by a fence. To the east of Union Gap, on the northwestern slope of Rattle Snake Range, we examined some rock-slide graves which had been made since the advent of objects of white manufacture. A mile or so south of Union Gap not far from the uplands to the east of the river was a ridge of earth extending north and south nearly parallel with the river road. This, however, I believe may be the remains of some early irrigation project. On the west side of the Yakima River about two miles south of Union Gap was seen a summer lodge made by covering a conical framework with mats.

At Fort Simcoe, immediately south of the Indian agency, on the north edge of the "scab land," overlooking a small ravine, is a large pit surrounded by an embankment of earth, the remains of a semi-subterranean house. Perhaps an eighth of a mile south of this, on higher "scab land" was a rather low long mound upon which were several piles of stone that probably marked graves. This mound was lower and more oblong than the usual dome in which such graves were made. Mrs. Lynch, who pointed these out has excavated similar piles at this place and found them to mark graves. We were informed that chipped implements were frequently found along the Yakima River at a point near Prosser. Above Kennewick, while digging a flume, a number of graves were discovered, from which Mr. Sonderman made his collection. Some of these graves contained modern material (p. 111).

On the surface of the western beach of the Columbia at Kennewick and on the flat land back of it we found chips of material suitable for making chipped implements, and a large pebble, probably a net sinker.[22] These, together with the fact that Mr. D. W. Owen has also frequently found specimens here, suggest that this place was an ancient camping ground. That Lewis and Clark saw Indians here and in the vicinity, as well as that the Indians still camp here on the beach of the river, sheltered from the wind by the bank and depending upon the river driftwood for their fuel, strengthens this suggestion. Specimens have been found on the large island in the Columbia at the mouth of the Yakima. (See p. 64.) At a point four miles below Kennewick or perhaps a mile below a point opposite the mouth of the Snake, a grave which contained material of white manufacture is said to have been discovered by a man while hauling water up the bank of the Columbia.

[22] See p. 30.

Schoolcraft states[23] that there was an earthwork on the left bank of the Lower Yakima on the edge of a terrace about fifteen feet high a short distance from the water. This terrace was banked on either side by a gully. This consisted of two concentric circles of earth about eighty yards in diameter by three feet high, with a ditch between. Within were about twenty "cellars", situated without apparent design, except economy of room. They were some thirty feet across, and three feet deep. A guide stated that it was unique and made very long ago by an unknown people. Outside, but near by, were other "cellars" in no way differing from the remains of villages of the region. What may be an earthwork near by is described by Schoolcraft[24] as follows: "The Indians also pointed out, near by, a low hill or spur, which in form might be supposed to resemble an inverted canoe, and which he had said was a ship." Schoolcraft suggests a possible relation of this to the mounds of the Sacramento Valley and continues:--

"In this connection may also be mentioned a couple of modern fortifications, erected by the Yakamas upon the Sunkive fork. They are situated between two small branches, upon the summits of a narrow ridge some two hundred yards long, and thirty feet in height, and are about twenty-five yards apart. The first is a square with rounded corners, formed by an earthen embankment capped with stones; the interstices between which served for loop-holes, and without any ditch. It is about thirty feet on the sides, and the wall three feet high. The other is built of adobes, in the form of a rectangle, twenty by thirty-four feet, the walls three feet high, and twelve to eighteen inches thick, with loop-holes six feet apart. Both are commanded within rifle-shot by neighboring hills. They were erected in 1847 by Skloo, as a defence against the Cayuse. We did not hear whether they were successfully maintained, accounts varying greatly in this respect. In the same neighborhood Captain M'Clellan's party noticed small piles of stones raised by the Indians on the edges of the basaltic walls which enclose these valleys, but were informed that they had no purpose; they were put up through idleness. Similar piles are, however, sometimes erected to mark the fork of a trail. At points on these walls there were also many graves, generally made in regular form, covered with loose stones to protect them from the cayotes, and marked by poles decorated with tin cups, powder-horns, and articles of dress. During the summer the Indians for the most part live in the small valleys lying well into the foot of the mountains. These are, however, uninhabitable during the winter, and they move further down, or to more sheltered situations. The mission which, in summer, is maintained in the A-tá-nam valley, is transferred into that of the main river."[25]

[23] Schoolcraft, VI. p. 612.

[24] Schoolcraft, VI. p. 613.

[25] Cf. also Bancroft, IV. p. 736; Stevens, pp. 232-3; Gibbs, (a), pp. 408-9.

After passing the top of the divide, to the left of the trail from Ellensburg to Priest Rapids, chips and fragments of variegated float quartz suitable for chipped implements were found. This apparently marked a place where a fragment of float rock had been broken up, but fine fragments were hardly numerous enough to indicate that the place had been a shop site, or at least a large one. The quantity of material broken up, judging from the amount of refuse, was small. On the western side of the Columbia, at the base of the basaltic rocks where they meet the bottom-land, perhaps a mile from the river were rock-slide graves in the talus slope. At the head of Priest Rapids, the river turns towards the west and then southward, flowing close to the southern end of this escarpment. On the flat, at the very head of Priest Rapids, the river, during high water had washed out the remains of a village or camp site, where pestles and animal bones were numerous. A short distance above this, in a low ridge near the river were some modern graves some of which were marked with sticks at the head and foot. The bodies, judging from the mounds of earth, were laid full length and many, if not all of them, judging from the size of the head and foot sticks, were placed with the feet towards the east. Perhaps a mile above here near the home of Mr. Britain Everette Craig, several large and deep pits, the sites of ancient semi-subterranean houses were seen. Above and near his house, the river had washed out what was apparently a village site, and perhaps a few graves. Here was found the small fresh water shell heap, shown in Fig. 1, Plate V, and the pile of flat oval pebbles which probably marked a cooking place, shown in Fig. 2. On the west beach of the Columbia at Sentinal Bluffs perhaps another mile further up the river, notched sinkers and other indications of a camp or fishing ground were found.

On the eastern side of the river near the head of Priest Rapids some material was found on the surface of the beach where the floods of the river had uncovered it. A mile or more above here, pecked on the basaltic columns of Sentinal Bluffs, which may be seen in both figures of Plate V were a number of petroglyphs, shown in Plate XI and described on page 121. Those shown in Fig. 1, photographed from the west, are on the columns to the east of the road, blasted through the rocks at this point, and perhaps fifteen feet from the river. Those in Fig. 2, photographed from the north, are to the west of the road on the columns which rise abruptly from the river. Some specimens and indications of habitation were found scattered between this point and the mouth of Crab Creek, the bed of which was dry in most places when we visited it.

RESOURCES.

The resources of the prehistoric people of the Yakima Valley, as 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.

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.

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.