Fig. 76 (202-8384). Beads made of Shell. From refuse of a grave in a rock-slide near the head of Priest Rapids. Nat. size.
Dentalium Shells. Dentalium shells, some broken or cut into short sections, were found in twelve of the graves of this region. Two of these graves were in domes of volcanic ash and probably old; five of them were cremation circles, also ancient, while five were rock-slide graves of which three were surely modern, and two probably so. It will be seen that the dentalia beads are found in about equal proportions in old and recent graves, there being seven examples of the former and five of the latter. One lot of dentalia found in a cremation circle was charred. None of the dentalia found in the rock-slide graves were incised while in one of the graves in a dome of volcanic ash incised dentalia were found together with the sculptured human form in antler shown in [Fig. 121] on which are represented what appear to be dentalium shells forming parts of ear or hair pendants. Incised dentalia were also found in two of the five cremation circles containing dentalium shells. Some of the incised designs on dentalium shells are shown in Figs. [117] and [118]. An idea of how the dentalium shells may have been used as ornaments on arm bands and headdresses may be had by reference to [Fig. 121] and [p. 101]. Somewhat similarly incised dentalium shells were found at the large burial place at Kamloops in the southern interior of British Columbia to the north,[269] and in the Nez Perce region to the east bits of engraved dentalium shells are found in the graves of children.[270] Strings of them were hung from the ears or fastened to the braids of hair and dentalia were attached to the dresses of the women.[271] Among antiquities they are found as far east as central Wyoming. There are some dentalium shells decorated with windings along lines somewhat similar in the collections from the Hupa of California. Dentalium shells used as nose ornaments, ear pendants or parts of ornaments and as beads were also found in the Thompson region.[272] A few were found on the coast in the Fraser Delta,[273] but while they are to be seen in collections from living Indians and recent graves they were not found among antiquities elsewhere on the coast of British Columbia and Washington.[274] It seems noteworthy that while the shells are plentiful on the coast where they are used by the modern people they could only have been obtained in the Thompson River region and the Yakima Valley by barter. In the north, they were imported until recently through the Chilcotin country from the region north of Vancouver Island.[275] In the Yakima Valley, however, they were probably brought in by a more southern route and from places further south on the coast. My impression is that the Fraser Valley was not used as a route for the importation.
Fig. 77 (202-8152). Drilled and Perforated Disk made of Slate. From grave No. 1 in a rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. Nat. size.
Pendants. Somewhat circular objects which might possibly be considered as beads are shown in Figs. [77] to [80] and are considered as pendants perforated near the centre. The first is a slightly [asymmetrical] disk, made of slate, which was found in grave No. 1 in a rock-slide of the Yakima Ridge. It is perforated at the centre with a large hole and at each end with a small hole. These perforations taper from each end and were apparently drilled. On each side there are four conoid pits about equi-distant from each other and the end holes arranged to form an oval about parallel with the edge of the object. On the reverse, there are only two of these pits, one on each side. The disk is 3 mm. thick.
[Fig. 78] illustrates a thin square of copper with rounded corners, a thong of skin and a copper bead, found in grave No. 34 (5) of an infant in a rock-slide near the mouth of Cherry Creek below Ellensburg. The hole in the centre of this little pendant has been punched. The presence of glass beads and iron in the same grave suggests that possibly this copper pendant was made of factory-rolled metal.
