The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
History
The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2
Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
Indians of North America -- Antiquities; Stone age -- North America
Circular and oblong pieces of bone. No doubt some of these were used in
playing games.
Beads of bone of various sizes.
_Objects made from Teeth_
Beads made out of teeth, probably of the mountain lion, an animal which
is present in considerable numbers in the Wahsatch and Uintah Mountains.
_Shell Objects_
Beads made out of shells from the ocean.
_Stone Objects_
Metates and rubbing-stones, for grinding maize. These corn-grinding
mills are often quite large, and sometimes weigh as much as a hundred
pounds. In the year 1892 the writer found a heavy metate in a
cliff-house in a place one thousand feet above the stream in the bottom
of the canyon, and in a spot very difficult of access.
Arrow-heads of obsidian, chalcedony, and quartz. They are mostly small,
barbed, and well-formed. Many of them are translucent, and some are
transparent. Both obsidian and chalcedony occur in nature in southern
Utah.
One straight pipe-bowl of catlinite was found in a cave-house in San
Juan County. This may perhaps indicate intercourse with the tribes of
Dakota or Minnesota.
A nearly pear-shaped pipe-bowl of beautifully polished onyx was found
with mummified human bodies and wooden flails and fibre mats in a cave
in eastern Utah (see Fig. 436). It had a stem of bone in position,
fastened in place by some sort of black cement or fireproof substance,
which also lined the inside of the pipe-bowl.
Stone mauls and hammers are to be mentioned as occurring in Utah. They
are generally provided with a groove in which the pliant, tough, wooden
handle is fastened.
Grooved stone axes likewise occur.
Oblong and other-shaped pendants and ornaments of turquoise and green
variscite have been found in the valley houses.
_Pottery Objects_
Pipe-bowls of several kinds, straight and curved. Some well-formed
pottery pipes were found by the writer in 1890 in valley-house ruins.
Balls an inch or two in diameter made of partially baked clay. Probably
used for games of some sort.
Vessels in the form of bowls and jugs. The bowls are of regular form,
well glazed and tastefully decorated with painted designs, mostly on the
inside.
The jars have one or two handles, and are of many sizes, some being very
large. Occasionally the jars are highly embellished externally by
painted designs of various and interesting kinds. Similar bowls, jars,
and pipes of pottery are found in both the valley- and the cliff-house
ruins.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account