Possibly the burials in the domes of volcanic ash and those in the rock-slides are practically the results of a common motive by the same people in the same time and the differences may be due simply to the difference in the character of the near by topography and the relative convenience of securing the material to cover the graves. This idea is strengthened by information given me by Mr. W. H. Hindshaw who stated that from sixteen to thirty miles above the mouth of the Snake River where it cuts through canons there are rock burial heaps immediately above flood level and burials in the flood sand below, both of which he found to contain human bones and implements. He also stated that graves are found on the bluff overlooking the river. One was curbed with the remains of a cedar canoe. The grave had a bottom of plank and a cover over the body—that of a small child—which was wrapped in a fur, apparently a beaver skin. There were a number of beads and brass buttons and a large fragment of the shell of the Schizothoerus nuttallii which must have come from the coast.
Cremation Circles. Rings of stones ([Fig. 1, Plate IX])[422] were also seen and on excavation within them cremated human remains were found usually several in each circle. In some cases the ring was irregular and in others assumed the form of a rectangle. None of them are known to be recent. In such places, dentalium shells, flat shell beads, and shell ornaments were usually seen. Mr. Teit says that rings of stones were also put on top of graves in the Thompson River region. Along the Columbia, below the mouth of the Snake River, vaults or burial houses like those found among the Upper Chinook were used.[423] A somewhat similar method was observed even among the Nez Perce.[424] This suggests that the cremation circles here described, may be the caved-in remains of earth-covered burial lodges built somewhat on the plan of the semi-subterranean winter houses.
Position of the Body. In all the old graves the skeletons were flexed and usually on the side ([Plate VIII, Fig. 2]).[425] The graves where the body was buried at length with the feet to the east were doubtless recent and probably placed that way due to the teachings of Christians. In the Nez Perce region to the east, the body was placed in a variety of positions, either flexed or at length[426] and sometimes upon the side. Considering the difference between the costume and objects used by the men and those by the women, in the Nez Perce region to the east,[427] it would seem that the contents of the graves in this near by region may be used to check the determination of the sex of the skeletons.
Property with the Dead. Objects are usually found with the remains of the dead in all classes of old burials but some of the graves contained nothing; others very little. There was apparently no radical difference in the character of the material in the graves in volcanic domes and those in the rock-slides; but the more modern rock-slide graves seemed, on the whole, to contain a greater number of objects than the older graves or the graves in domes. On the coast, objects are found with recent burials, but rarely in ancient graves. The cremation circles often contained dentalium shells and bits of shell objects but little else. In the Nez Perce region to the east a considerable amount of property, ornaments and utensils is found buried with the dead.[428]
Horse Sacrifices. We discovered no graves containing horse bones or over which a skeleton of a horse was found, although it will be remembered that such were found in the Nez Perce region east of here.[429] There, the killing of horses over the graves of their owners became the usual practice when horses were plentiful. Sometimes a horse was buried over the body.[430] In this region, however, we found no evidences of the horse in connection with the graves other than the presence of an old Spanish bit in one of the more recent burials.
Diseases. Out of about seventeen complete skeletons and six skulls secured in this region by our party those of two children (99-4323, 99-4326) and two adults, one of which was apparently a female (99-4336), exhibited anchylosis of some of the vertebrae. The left ankle bones of the other skeleton (99-4327) showed anchylosis with the tibia and one of the ribs was abnormal. The skeleton of a young child (99-4329) with persistent frontal suture, an example of retarded development was also found.[431]
FOOTNOTES:
[408] Cf. also Yarrow, p. 178; Gibbs, (b), p. 201.
[409] Gibbs, (a), p. 413.
[410] See Museum negative nos. 44442, 1-3, and 44496, 5-9.