The Archaeology of the Yakima ValleySmith, Harlan Ingersoll
History
The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley
Smith, Harlan Ingersoll
Yakima River Valley (Wash.) -- Antiquities
are faint suggestions of an ornament possibly similar to the shell
pendant shown in Fig. 92.
[293] Spinden, p. 220.
The two ridges, extending from near the chin to the shoulders, seem to
indicate collar bones. The body is thin and narrows downward. Paint or
tattooing, representing the ribs, or the ribs themselves, are indicated
by ridges. There are horizontal hachure on the body above the waist. The
arms are separated from the body by incisions made from both the front
and the back, and the outer edges of the object, being rounded off, are
like portions of a carving. A bracelet, band, or figure painted or
tattooed, on the apparently bare arm is indicated in the middle of each
by vertical hachure connecting pairs of parallel lines. The vertical
arrangement of lines of the horizontal band suggests that these were arm
bands, bearing vertically arranged copper or shell beads, if not
dentalium shells similar to those which are supposed to be represented
by the bands of vertical lines on the headdress on each side of the
face. Mr. Teit considers the bands around the elbows as representing
armlets of skin embroidered with dentalia or quills like those formerly
used in the Thompson River region, although the Indians there were in
the habit of painting their bodies in imitation of clothing. Head-bands
were painted across the brows, fringed kilts or aprons around the middle
and upper part of the legs and fringed short leggings along the lower
part of the legs. The fringes were represented as long. Imitations of
wristlets, armlets and anklets were also painted on the body. As before
mentioned, arm and leg bands were worn by the Nez Perce Indians[294] and
as indicated by the previously described specimens, bracelets were worn
in the Yakima area. At the wrist is a slight horizontal incision, where
the hand expands somewhat sidewise. The fingers and thumb are separated
by four vertical incisions. Below these and extending across the body
are four horizontal lines, the space between the two in the middle being
slightly wider than the other two spaces. These lines seem to indicate
the upper edge of an apron which is covered by vertical hachure.
[294] Spinden, p. 219.
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