Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1875-08-27
Antiquities of the Pacific Slope.

A CORRESPONDENT of the San Francisco
Bulletin gives the following description of
a remarkable collection of antiquities
which have recently been discovered in a
burial place in an old Indian rancheria at
Moore's landing, near Santa Barbara,
which yielded several skeletons, arrow
heads, shell ornaments, ETC.:
The skeletons were lying with face
downward and heads to the west The
skulls differed but little from existing In
dian races on this coast, the facial angle
denoting aboriginal intelligence The
bones were large, and the markings of the
muscular attachments indicated greatphys-
ical development The remains of but
few animals were found, except seals, fish
and mollusks, and occasionally the bone
of dog. With some skeletons quantities
of small, black seeds were found, which
were probably used for beverage. A
great many pipes indicated the smoking
propensities of their owners. They were
made from stealth, some being foot in
length and having polished bone mouth
pieces.
The principal antiquities found were
ollas, finely carved from magnetism lime
stone, pipes, vases, cups, ladies, tortila
stone, ETC., from the same material; beads
and innumerable trinkets, manufactured
from shells; mortars, pestles, and war
clubs from sandstone, ETC. The mollusks
upon which they subsisted were princi-
pally habsatus, chrome, succinctd, pacteus,
Tapes, crepactulas, and oysters. The ollas
were used for cooking-vessels. Many of
the smaller vessels, as well as the haliotis
shells, were doubtless used for drinking
cups. A few iron implements were found
wrapped with fur, and an old Spanish ak
ornamented with feathers, the impression
Of which was quite visible in the rust.
Among the ornaments were ear-pen-
dants, brooches, beads, etc. The remains
OF soap-root brushes were found. Rude
knives of flint were common; bone drill
heads, perfOratOrs, etc., were abundant
instruments Of flint from three to six
inches long, Clipped into the shape of a
three-cornered file, were with the skeletons.
judge these were used for the double
purpose of rasps and spear-points. The
war-clubs were made from sandstone and
limestone, and were from twenty to twenty
six inches in length. They were usually
about two and half inches in diameter at
the larger end and gradually tapered to
about one and half inches at the smaller
end, where an ornamental knob prevented
their slipping through the hand. The
lance and arrow heads were very fine.
Some of the former were ten inches long,
manufactured from white flint, and show
ing the highest workmanship.
Some of the vessels had been broken
while III use and cemented with asphaltum,
after which holes were drilled on each
side of the fracture and thongs inserted.
A small portion of a fish-net was found
which had been .ingeniously made from
thread manufactured from some kind of
grass. In some instances pullotis shells
and small stone vessels were filled with
War-paint. In other instances the paint
was made into balls and squares and orna-
mented. Beads of stone and shells were
used for embroidering and other ornament.
al purposes. The remains of old dug
outs" Or boats, were found. In all the
ollas and in the graves were found pieces
of redwood, showing a superstitiOus re-
gard for this wood. Wampum made from
oIta0elIa shells was common among the
trinkets. Several specimens of a kind of
flute made Of bone were found among the
remains.
This is but an outline sketch of the re-
markable discovery, but it embraces the
main points. The place has been inhab-
tied, doubtless, for several hundred years,
and was not abandoned till the present
century In one instance found with the
skeleton of man war-club of stone, a
hompoon of copper and spear-head of
iron. The iron was considerably decayed,
but here were represented the three i'm
portant ages of psychologists. The skele-
tons, which were very numerous, were
buried from two to six feet below the sur
face. The collection will be exhibited at our
approaching Centennial, where it will vie
with those from Nineveh and Troy.