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. 21. Cremation rectangle last explored on the
terrace near the mouth of the Naches River and situated
300 feet northwest from the two bridges. The rectangular
enclosure was bounded by a single row of stones, but on
the south several rows were placed outside to conform
with the slope of the hill covering a semi-circular area,
while on the west was a second row of marking stones. It
was 12 feet long north and south by 8 feet wide east and
west and 3 feet, 6 inches deep. Part of a child's skull,
two scapulae, two tibiae, and a piece of a femur of
another child; bones of a young adult; a small piece of
skull and part of a femur of an adult were found. All
the bones were in a poor state of preservation. Numbers
202-8188 to 202-8189 were found in this grave.
202-8188. Dentalium shells.
202-8189. A shell ornament was found in this excavation.
A piece of beaver tooth and several pieces of decayed
cedar were also found and discarded.
* * * * *
99-4321. See grave No. 25.
* * * * *
Grave No. 22. Rock-slide grave located near the top of
the slide and above the flume on the southern side of the
Yakima Ridge on the northern side of the Yakima River
about a mile eastward from the mouth of the Naches River.
Traces of wrappings of stitched rush matting were seen in
the grave.
99-4322. Adult skeleton, partly bleached, flexed on back,
head north as shown in situ after removing covering rocks
in photograph (no. 44516, 7-6 from the south by west),
Plate VIII, Fig. 2 (pp. 15 and 142).
* * * * *
Grave No. 23. A grave 600 feet up on the plateau south of
Oak Spring Canon, in a dome-shaped mound of volcanic ash
left by the wind. It was not like a rock-slide grave.
Somewhat angular stones unlike rock-slide material among
which were no pebbles, formed a rectangular pile, 15 feet
long by 12 feet wide. The grave contained many stones,
several modern beads, evidently part of a rosary, two
dentalium shells and a human lower jaw, but all were
discarded.
* * * * *
Grave No. 24. This grave was located in a dome of
volcanic ash on the hill or plateau north of the Ahtanum
River and northwest of Mr. A. D. Eglin's house near
Tampico. It was marked by a rectangular group of rough
and wind smoothed rocks (not rock-slide or river pebble)
which extended down as in the crude cairns, 6 feet
northeast and southwest by 4 feet wide northwest and
southeast, the vault being 5 feet by 3 feet. Numbers
99-4323 and 202-8190 were found in this grave.
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