The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley Part 15

[311] Smith, (d), p. 154.

[312] Teit, (a), p. 275.

[313] Smith, (a), p. 180.

[314] Spinden, p. 189.

[315] Spinden, p. 254.

[316] Spinden, p. 189.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 97 (202-8150). Bone Tube. From grave No. 1, in a rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. 1/2 nat. size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 98 (202-8151). Bone Tube, bearing Incised Lines, Charred. From grave No. 1 in a rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. 1/2 nat.

size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 99 (202-8166). Perforated Cylinder made of Steat.i.te.

From near centre of grave No. 10 (5) in a rock-slide near the mouth of Naches River. 1/2 nat. size.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 100. Tubular Pipe made of Steat.i.te. From Yakima Indians. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from photograph 44506, 6-7. Original Catalogue No. 215 in the collection of Mr. McCandless.)]

The perforated cylinder shown in Fig. 99, made of serpentine is 44 mm.

long and 8 mm. in diameter, rounded at the edges and was found in about the centre of grave No. 10 (5). There are five small pits about equi-distant from each other around this cylinder near the top, and four near the bottom. There are two transverse incised lines just below the five pits, and there is an incision about 12 mm. above the bottom of the specimen, below which the diameter is perhaps half a mm. greater than at the top. Near the middle of the object it is pierced by a hole which tapers from each end. While this object also may have been used in gambling, it seems possible that it may be an amulet.

_Narcotics._ Pipes of seven distinct types were found in this region; a tube, a simple bowl, a disk with both bowl and stem made in the periphery, an elbow form, a modern inlaid pipe similar to the typical form of the catlinite pipe of the Plains, a tomahawk-pipe in stone, and a pipe carved in the art of the North Pacific coast.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 101. Tubular Pipe made of Green Stone with Stem.

From Lemhi River, Idaho. (Reproduced from p. 342, Vol. II, Lewis and Clark. Bowl about 2-1/2 inches long.)]

A tubular pipe made of steat.i.te is shown in Fig. 100. It was collected by Mr. Frank N. McCandless from the Yakima Indians. Mr. McCandless says the stone differs from that found at the head of Wenatchee Lake, which is sometimes used for pipes in this region. This pipe is No. 215 in his collection deposited in the Ferry Museum in the City Hall at Tacoma. It is 51 mm. long and the bowl has been broken off irregularly, about half of it apparently having been broken away. The bowl flares rather more abruptly than is the case in the pipes usually found either in this region or that of the Thompson River. In this respect it resembles the tubular pipes made of steat.i.te, found on the coast of British Columbia.[317] In outline, it is nearly straight, while most pipes of this type have bowls convexly curved in a form characteristic of the type found in the interior of British Columbia and of Was.h.i.+ngton.

The bowl has been gouged out. There is a ridge or ring around the pipe where the bowl meets the stem. Oblique incisions slanting downward from left to right, at an angle of about 45, mark this ridge, making it suggest a twisted cord. The end of the stem is similarly marked. These lines are again mentioned under art on p. 125. The stem expands from the ridge to the end. The outline of the stem is rather straight or slightly concave, while most pipes of this type have more slender or nearly cylindrical stems. The interior of the stem was apparently formed by whittling. The pipe is stained by tobacco which suggests that while it may be old, it has nevertheless been recently smoked.[318] In the Nez Perce region to the east the earliest form of pipe, according to Spinden, was doubtless the straight tubular type.[319] One of the pipes figured by him has a f.l.a.n.g.e for a mouthpiece similar to those found in the Thompson River region, and this f.l.a.n.g.e is perforated near one end.

This particular type of pipe is also found in Oregon.[320] A pipe of this type, but which much more nearly resembles the typical form of tubular pipe of this region, especially the shorter specimens, is reproduced in Fig. 101 from Lewis and Clark.[321] This specimen which is made of green stone and has a stem, was seen among the Shoshone Indians at the headwaters of the Lemhi River, Idaho, by Lewis, August thirteenth, 1805. It marks the eastern limits of the occurrence of this type of pipe, so far as I am aware at present, the short forms having been found at Fulford Harbor, North Saanich, Sidney[322] and Port Hammond,[323] on the southern coast of British Columbia, Damon[324] on the coast of Was.h.i.+ngton, Lytton[325] in the interior of British Columbia, Umatilla[326] and Blalock Island,[327] near Umatilla, both in the interior of Was.h.i.+ngton. In the Journal for Tuesday, August 13, 1805, Lewis refers to this pipe, as follows:--"the chief then lit his pipe at the fire kindled in this little magic circle ... pointed the stem to the four cardinal points of the heavens first beginning at the East and ending with the North. He now presented the pipe to me, as if desirous that I should smoke, but when I reached my hand to receive it, he drew it back and repeated the same c[e]remony three times, after which he pointed the stem first to the heavens then to the center of the magic circle smoked himself with three whifs and held the pipe until I took as many as I thought proper; he then held it to each of the white persons and then gave it to be consumed by his warriors. This pipe was made of a dense semi-transparent green stone very highly polished about 2-1/2 inches long and of an oval figure, the bowl being in the same direction with the stem. A small piece of birned clay is placed in the bottom of the bowl to seperate the tobacco from the end of the stem and is of an irregularly rounded figure not fitting the tube perfectly close in order that the smoke may pa.s.s. This is the form of the pipe. Their tobacco is of the same kind of that used by the Minnetares Mandans and Ricares of the Missouri. The Shoshonees do not cultivate this plant, but obtain it from the Rocky mountain Indians and some of the bands of their own nation who live further south."[328]

[317] Smith, (a), Figs. 48 and 55; (b), Fig. 139.

[318] Museum negative no. 44506, 6-7.

[319] Spinden, p. 188, Figs. 4 and 5, Plate IX.

[320] Moorehead, Fig. 457, p. 316, Figs. 9, 17, 22 and 25.

[321] Lewis and Clark, II, p. 342.

[322] Smith, (b), Fig. 139.

[323] Smith, (a), Fig. 48.

[324] Smith, (b), Fig. 139.

[325] Smith, (h), p. 34.

[326] _Ibid._, Fig. 7.

[327] _Ibid._, p. 36.

[328] Lewis and Clark. II, p. 341.

Mr. James Teit informs me that a f.l.a.n.g.e like the end of a spool at the mouth of the stem of a tubular pipe, makes it of a type which seems to him peculiarly characteristic of the Thompson River region. In some cases this peculiarity is carried over into the stems of pipes of the modern or elbow type, which have wooden stems, as is shown in Fig. 102.

Mr. Teit has never seen or heard of tubular pipes from the Thompson River region with holes through the f.l.a.n.g.es. It seems possible that the hole in such specimens as one from Umatilla, Oregon,[329] may have been made for the attachment of ornaments or symbolic material such as feathers or for a cleaner. Ornaments were sometimes attached to pipes of the elbow type in the Thompson River region. This was done by tying in a hole bored through the hatchet-shaped piece underneath the shank close to the elbow. Pipes of the simple bowl type often had an extension at the foot of the bowl, sometimes perforated, to which ornaments could be attached. On the other hand, the hole may have been to facilitate attaching the pipe to its wooden stem. The pipes that have been perforated through the f.l.a.n.g.e,[330] however, seem to have too small a bore for a wooden stem; yet, a pipe of this type with a wooden stem has been shown in Fig. 101. One reason given Mr. Teit by the Indians for the making of the f.l.a.n.g.e or other thickening at the mouth of the pipe stem was to prevent the string used in attaching the pipe to the wooden stem slipping off. According to all of them, wooden stems were always used with tubular pipes as with elbow and simple bowl pipes; for a person cannot smoke any kind of stone pipe more than a few draws before it becomes too hot for the lips. To Mr. Teit's mind, no matter how small the bore of the pipe, a regular stem must have been used for smoking.

[329] Smith, (h), Fig. 7a.

[330] Smith, (h), Fig. 4.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 102. Pipe made of Steat.i.te used by the Thompson River Indians at Spences Bridge in 1895. About 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch by Mr. James Teit.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 103. Form of the f.l.a.n.g.e-Shaped Mouth of the Bowl of some Thompson River Indian Pipes. About 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch by Mr. James Teit.)]

Some tubular pipes are said to have had a f.l.a.n.g.e around the mouth of the bowl, similar to that on elbow pipes as in Fig. 103; but this f.l.a.n.g.e meets the body of the bowl with an even curve. Mr. Teit does not distinctly remember having seen such f.l.a.n.g.ed tubular pipe bowls among the Thompson River Indians who gave him this information, but he saw one specimen at least, of the elbow type with f.l.a.n.g.ed bowl. He further states that to his knowledge there is only one part of the country where the semi-transparent green steat.i.te is obtained; that is, on the west side of the Fraser River, over twenty miles north of Lytton, which as is well known is at the mouth of the Thompson River. This stone, when polished and used, takes on a much darker hue than its original color.

The fire may be seen through the stone of the pipes when smoked in the dark. The bluish gray steat.i.te is the most commonly employed and it turns black when polished and used. The Thompson River Indians can usually tell from what part of the country the stone comes of which any particular pipe is made.

The tubular form of pipe is remembered by the old Indians to have been in use in the Thompson River region, although not so common as the simple pipe bowls and elbow pipes, and one was seen in use in eastern Was.h.i.+ngton as late as 1896.[331] On the other hand, no simple pipe bowls known to be such, or elbow pipes have been seen among archaeological finds. The bowl and elbow pipes are affiliated with forms found farther east. This fact suggests that the tubular pipe was supplanted recently by bowl and elbow forms brought in from the southeast, or at least from the east. The westward movement of tribes due to the encroachment of our settlements may have brought them, or some of them, and they may be patterned after pipes seen in the hands of fur traders and their Indian employees. The tubular pipe made of steat.i.te, shown in Fig. 104, was purchased from Mr. W. Z. York of Old Yakima (Old Town), who secured it from Shaw-wa-way, an Indian known as "Young Chief Aleck," who lives on a ranch three miles south of Old Yakima. This Indian is known to have frequently visited the Okanogon region and it is possible that he secured the pipe, decorated as it is, or got the idea for this particular sort of decoration from that region. This is suggested by the fact that this particular kind of decoration is common, especially on more recent ornaments, in the Thompson River region, the people of which in turn frequently visited the Okanogon country. The bowl of the pipe is cut squarely across at the end where the outer edge has been rounded. It is of the typical shape of this form of pipes, and has been hollowed out by gouging contra-screw-wise. It meets the stem abruptly and the latter is slightly larger than the base of the bowl, so that it seems to be separated from it. The stem is very short and cylindrical and the end is cut squarely off; but it is bevelled on each side so that about one third of the end is left and the bevelled surfaces extend over half the length of the stem. This beveling may have been to form the mouthpiece; but it seems more likely that the pipe had a long stem similar to those found in the Thompson River region.[332] This seems to have been broken off obliquely near the bowl, then cut squarely across, and the other side bevelled to give bilateral symmetry because one of these bevelled surfaces appears as if it had been broken and then only slightly smoothed; both of these surfaces and the square end of the stem seem to have been more recently cut than the rest of the pipe. These three surfaces seem less polished and as if they were made with a steel knife.

The bore of the stem measures 5 mm. in diameter. A portion of the bowl is decorated by incised lines into which red paint has been daubed, suggesting that it was recently applied; while the design itself, which is further described on p. 131 under the section of art, is of figures which suggest that it was made lately. Possibly the pipe is old, but was recently broken and decorated with the incised design and paint.

[331] Teit, (a), p. 300.

[332] Smith, (d), Figs. 103, 104 and 111; (c), Figs. 37 1a, b.

The fragment of a sculptured tubular pipe made of steat.i.te shown in Fig.

105 is apparently about half of the original object. It was found in an Indian grave about a quarter of a mile from the bank of the Yakima River at a point about nine miles above its mouth, in August 1902, by Mr. W.

F. Sonderman of Kennewick. Mr. Sonderman's collection from the immediate vicinity contained gla.s.s beads, a metallic handle and b.u.t.tons, as well as chipped points. As the contents of the three graves from which he obtained this collection, during the construction of an irrigation ca.n.a.l were mixed, it seems that this pipe may belong to the same period as that of the gla.s.s beads and other objects of European manufacture and consequently may be modern, although it may be an old specimen, deposited in a modern grave. The general form of the pipe was thought to be that of a cone. The portion towards the front of the carving, however, is somewhat longer than that towards the rear, and the back is nearly flat, although this may be caused simply by the carving. The bore is somewhat smaller at the mouth of the bowl than lower down. It was apparently gouged out. Some traces of dirt, perhaps the remains of the material smoked in the pipe may be seen towards its larger opening. The carving, which represents a human form, is further described under the section of art on p. 135. As the tubular form of pipe seems to be common to this region, as well as to the Thompson River region, further north, it would seem that this specimen may be a variation from the type or merely one of these pipes made by an artist. It may be that such sculptured forms of this type of pipe may not be found in the Thompson River region, and that the carving of tubular pipes in this way may be characteristic of the Yakima region, although the style of art suggests that found in the Thompson River region and more especially in the Lillooet Valley.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 104 (202-8122). Tubular Pipe made of Steat.i.te. From an Indian living three miles south of Old Yakima. 1/2 nat. size.

(Collected by Mr. York.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 105 (202-8120). Fragment of a Sculptured Tubular Pipe made of Steat.i.te. From near Kennewick. 1/2 nat. size. (Collected by Mr. W. F. Sonderman.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 106 (202-8396). Pipe made of Limestone. From near the head of Priest Rapids. 1/2 nat. size. (Collected and presented by Mrs. J. B. Davidson.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 107 (20.0 1470). Pipe made of Sandstone. From the Snake River Indians. 1/2 nat. size. (Collected and presented by Mr.

Owen.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 108. Pipe made of Blue Stone. From the Yakima Valley, 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from photograph 41503, 6-4. Original in the collection of Mr. Janeck.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 109. Pipe made of Stone. From the Yakima Valley. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from photograph 44503, 6-4. Original catalogue No. 155 in the collection of Mr. Janeck.)]

Only one specimen of the second or simple bowl type was seen by us in the whole region. It is shown in Fig. 106, and was found near the head of Priest Rapids by a boy from whom Mrs. J. B. Davidson obtained it for her collection. She afterwards presented it to our expedition. It is made of schistose rock, apparently limestone, of gray color with lighter veins. The object is oval in section, slightly longer than it is wide, and a little wider than it is thick being 32 mm. long, 29 mm. wide, and 15 mm. thick. If slightly flatter, this pipe would resemble in shape the third type. The inside of the bowl which was apparently gouged out, is 13 mm. in diameter; while the opening for the stem seems to have been drilled. This opening is 7 mm. in diameter. The rim of the bowl is flattened, and this flat surface resembles that of the part of a hammerstone used for pecking. This style of pipe somewhat resembles some of the pipes used by the Thompson River Indians of the present day and together with elbow pipes, supplemented the tubular pipe in that region.