The Archaeology of the Yakima ValleySmith, Harlan Ingersoll
History
The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley
Smith, Harlan Ingersoll
Yakima River Valley (Wash.) -- Antiquities
Grave No. 1. Plate VI, Fig. 3 (1910) from north of west
of the grave before it was disturbed (p. 14). This grave
was about 50 feet up the gully from No. 2, and was
excavated by us May 18. It was marked by a stick which
was very dry but not yet fully decayed. It was located in
the rock-slide on the east slope of the gully, a steep
ravine going down from the south to a little flat
southeast of the Yakima River. This ravine is on the
north side of the hill on the east of the Yakima River at
the mouth of the Naches River. The grave was about a mile
northeast of the mouth of the Naches River, and about 80
feet above the Yakima. From the spot one can see out over
the valley of the Yakima. The grave was on a slight,
bench, terrace, or place that could be so interpreted.
There were large pits and terraces in the slide above
this grave, like those shown in Plate VII. Indications of
very old charred cedar strips were found across the
grave. Charcoal was found among the rocks, and the grave
was bounded by a sort of circular balcony of rocks of the
rock-slide and had a slight flat or depression in the
center. On top, the stones were large, averaging the size
of a man's head, some 30 pounds, some 100 pounds, some
the size of a man's fist. Below, covering the body, the
rocks were small and many were fine, being chipped small
from the same rock by fire. All except this burned rock
were the common irregular angular rock-slide material. In
the bottom of the grave were found adult human bones,
partly charred black, the parts not so charred were
yellow. Numbers 202-8137 to 202-8152 were found in this
grave.
202-8137. Left half of a charred human jaw, parts are
ivory black and parts yellowish gray.
202-8138. Part of a human vertebra.
202-8139. Some charred and calcined bones of a dog with
the joint end of the tibia showing the articulation
pulled off as in youth. Ashes and black fine masses
resembling pulverized charcoal were found in the bottom
of the grave. The human bones found with these were
probably of two skeletons, but all were much broken and
charred. Some yellow brown mass, composed of rootlets,
maggot sacks, etc., was found at the sides of the grave.
202-8140. At the east side of the grave, a large piece of
partly charred cedar about 8 inches wide by 2 inches
thick was found.
202-8141. Chipped point of obsidian with base broken off,
showing that at least some of the contents of the grave
were of prehistoric culture.
202-8142. Finely chipped point made of brown chert found
in fire refuse of this grave (Plate II, Fig. 5).
202-8143. Scorched point made of bone (Fig. 9).
202-8144. Part of a point similar to 202-8143 and found
with it.
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