The Archaeology of the Yakima ValleySmith, Harlan Ingersoll
History
The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley
Smith, Harlan Ingersoll
Yakima River Valley (Wash.) -- Antiquities
third of the end is left and the bevelled surfaces extend over half the
length of the stem. This beveling may have been to form the mouthpiece;
but it seems more likely that the pipe had a long stem similar to those
found in the Thompson River region.[332] This seems to have been broken
off obliquely near the bowl, then cut squarely across, and the other
side bevelled to give bilateral symmetry because one of these bevelled
surfaces appears as if it had been broken and then only slightly
smoothed; both of these surfaces and the square end of the stem seem to
have been more recently cut than the rest of the pipe. These three
surfaces seem less polished and as if they were made with a steel knife.
The bore of the stem measures 5 mm. in diameter. A portion of the bowl
is decorated by incised lines into which red paint has been daubed,
suggesting that it was recently applied; while the design itself, which
is further described on p. 131 under the section of art, is of figures
which suggest that it was made lately. Possibly the pipe is old, but was
recently broken and decorated with the incised design and paint.
[331] Teit, (a), p. 300.
[332] Smith, (d), Figs. 103, 104 and 111; (c), Figs. 37 1a, b.
The fragment of a sculptured tubular pipe made of steatite shown in Fig.
105 is apparently about half of the original object. It was found in an
Indian grave about a quarter of a mile from the bank of the Yakima River
at a point about nine miles above its mouth, in August 1902, by Mr. W.
F. Sonderman of Kennewick. Mr. Sonderman's collection from the immediate
vicinity contained glass beads, a metallic handle and buttons, as well
as chipped points. As the contents of the three graves from which he
obtained this collection, during the construction of an irrigation canal
were mixed, it seems that this pipe may belong to the same period as
that of the glass beads and other objects of European manufacture and
consequently may be modern, although it may be an old specimen,
deposited in a modern grave. The general form of the pipe was thought to
be that of a cone. The portion towards the front of the carving,
however, is somewhat longer than that towards the rear, and the back is
nearly flat, although this may be caused simply by the carving. The bore
is somewhat smaller at the mouth of the bowl than lower down. It was
apparently gouged out. Some traces of dirt, perhaps the remains of the
material smoked in the pipe may be seen towards its larger opening. The
carving, which represents a human form, is further described under the
section of art on p. 135. As the tubular form of pipe seems to be common
to this region, as well as to the Thompson River region, further north,
it would seem that this specimen may be a variation from the type or
merely one of these pipes made by an artist. It may be that such
sculptured forms of this type of pipe may not be found in the Thompson
River region, and that the carving of tubular pipes in this way may be
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