The Archaeology of the Yakima Valley

by Harlan Ingersoll Smith

The twelfth which is chipped from clove brown jasper was found on the surface of the Cherry Creek camp site near Ellensburg. The thirteenth is made of reddish white chert and was found on the surface near the mouth of Wenas Creek. The fourteenth is of pale yellow chalcedony and comes from the surface near the head of Priest Rapids. Most of these specimens seem to be suitable for arrow points, although some of them probably served for use as knives.

Fig. 5. Chipped Point made of Obsidian. From Priest Rapids. ½ nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch. Original in the collection of Mr. Mires.)
Fig. 6. (T-21184, II-180.) Fragment of a leaf-shaped Point made of Chert. From Wallula near the Columbia River, Oregon. Collected by Judge James Kennedy in 1882. ½ nat. size.

Points Rubbed out of Stone. No points rubbed out of stone have been found in this region, although it will be remembered that two such points were found in the Thompson River region[52] and were thought to represent an intrusion from the coast where they were common as in the Fraser Delta[53] at both Port Hammond and Eburne where they are more than one half as numerous as the chipped points, and at Comox[54] where at least seven of this type to three chipped from stone were found. They were also found at Saanich,[55] where they were in proportion of nineteen to twenty-four, near Victoria[56] and on the San Juan Islands.[57]

Points Rubbed out of Bone. Points rubbed out of bone which were so common on the coast everywhere, but rare in the Thompson River country are still more scarce here. Only ten specimens from the whole region can be identified as clearly intended for the points or barbs of arrows, harpoon heads or spears. The types are shown in [Figs. 7 to 12]. The first was found in the west, northwest part of grave No. 10 (5) in a rock-slide about a half mile above the mouth of the Naches River. It is nearly circular in cross section, 31 mm. long with a point only 6 mm. in length and was apparently intended for a salmon harpoon head, similar to those used in the Thompson River region[58] both in ancient and modern times but which are much more common on the coast. The specimen shown in [Fig. 8] is circular in cross section and was seen in the collection of Mrs. Davidson. It is from Kennewick and is of the shape of one of the most frequent types of bone points found in the Fraser Delta.[59] The specimen shown in [Fig. 9] was found with three others in grave No. 1 in a rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. This and two of the others were scorched. They are circular in cross section and sharp at both ends but the upper end is much the more slender. The point shown in [Fig. 10] somewhat resembles these, but it is slightly larger and tends to be rectangular in cross section except at the base. It was found with a similar specimen in a grave on the Snake River, five miles above its mouth, and was collected and presented by Mr. Owen who still has the other specimen. Diagonal striations may still be seen on its much weathered brown surface. These were probably caused by rubbing it on a stone in its manufacture. A slightly different type of bone point is shown in Figs. [11] and [12]. These seem to be barbs for fish spears such as were found in the Thompson River region,[60] among both ancient and modern specimens. The one shown in [Fig. 11] has traces of the marrow canal on the reverse. It was found in the Yakima Valley below Prosser and is in the collection of Mr. Spalding. While the specimen shown in [Fig. 12] is from the surface near the head of Priest Rapids.

Fig. 7 (202-8165). Point made of Bone. From the W., N. W. part of grave No. 10 (5) in a rock-slide about half a mile above the mouth of Naches River. ½ nat. size.
Fig. 8. Point made of Bone. From Kennewick. ½ nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch. Original in the collection of Mrs. Davidson.)
Fig. 9 (202-8143). Scorched Point made of Bone. From grave No. 1 in a rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. ½ nat. size.
Fig. 10 (20.0-1468). Point made of Bone. Found in a grave on an island in the Snake River, five miles above its mouth, ½ nat. size. (Collected and presented by Mr. Owen.)
Fig. 11. Point or Barb made of Bone. From the Yakima Valley below Prosser. ½ nat. size. (Drawn from a sketch. Original in the collection of Mr. Spalding.)
Fig. 12 (202-8381). Point or Barb made of Bone. From the surface, near the head of Priest Rapids. ½ nat. size.

Bone points and barbs were used in the Nez Perce region to the east, where three types of spears with bone points were known, two of them at least being similar to those found in the Thompson River region to the north.[61] The war spears sometimes had a point of bone, usually lance-shaped, but sometimes barbed.[62]