The Archaeology of the Yakima ValleySmith, Harlan Ingersoll
History
The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley
Smith, Harlan Ingersoll
Yakima River Valley (Wash.) -- Antiquities
Mr. James Teit informs me that a flange 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 flanges. 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 flange,[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 flange 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.
[Illustration: Fig. 102. Pipe made of Steatite used by the Thompson
River Indians at Spences Bridge in 1895. About 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn
from a sketch by Mr. James Teit.)]
[Illustration: Fig. 103. Form of the Flange-Shaped Mouth of the Bowl of
some Thompson River Indian Pipes. About 1/2 nat. size. (Drawn from a
sketch by Mr. James Teit.)]
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