The Archaeology of the Yakima ValleySmith, Harlan Ingersoll
History
The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley
Smith, Harlan Ingersoll
Yakima River Valley (Wash.) -- Antiquities
_Animal and Human Forms._ There are a number of sculptures that
apparently were intended to represent heads of animals, whole animals
and human forms. The top of the pestle shown in Fig. 31 is sculptured to
represent what is apparently an animal head. The top of the one shown in
Fig. 33 has three nipples one of which is longer than the others. This
sculpture also seems to represent an animal head, the ears being
indicated by the short nipples and the nose by the long one. The top of
the pestle shown in Fig. 34 apparently represents an animal head, the
mouth being indicated by the groove, each eye by a pit and there are
four incisions across the top or back of the head. A sculptured animal
head, with wide open mouth, pits for eyes, and projections for ears on
what may be a pestle top, has been found in the Nez Perce region to the
east[398] and pestles with heads are found in the Thompson River area
to the north.[399] The knob shown in Fig. 35 (p. 47) is interpreted as
representing a snake's head. The heart-shaped knob on the top of the
club shown in Fig. 68 resembles the form of an animal head and stands at
an angle of about 45° to the axis of the club. Two of the incised
circles probably represent the eyes. The top of the handle of a digging
stick made of horn of the Rocky Mountain sheep, shown in Fig. 126 is
sculptured to represent an animal head. It was obtained from an Indian
woman living near Union Gap below Old Yakima.
[398] Spinden, Plate IX, Fig. 19.
[399] Smith, (c), Fig. 341a; Teit, (a), Fig. 295.
[Illustration: Fig. 124. Fragment of a Sculpture with Hoof-like part.
From Pasco. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch. Original in the
collection of Mr. Owen.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 125. Sculptured Animal Form made of Lava. From an
Indian who claimed to have found it in a grave on the Yakima Reservation
two miles below Union Gap below Old Yakima. 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from
photographs 44452, 2-1, 44455, 2-4, and 44503, 6-4. Original catalogue
No. 36 in the collection of Mr. Janeck.)]
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