The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1906-06-20
Archaeology OF
YAKIMA VALLEY
MANY VALUABLE RELICS FOUND
An Interesting Story Of the Tribes
and Archaeological Finds In
the Yakima Valley.

The May number of the Washing
ton Magazine, published in Seattle,
contains very interesting and in
structive article on Archaeology Of
the Yakima Valley" The article
was prepared by Harlan l. Smith,
of the American Museum of Natural
History, who has given the subject
much study. His observations dur
ing the gathering OF his data he
gives under the above head as fol-
lows:
Archaeological explorations were
made by the writer in the Yakima
valley, Washington, for the Ameri-
can Museum of Natural History in
the first part of the field season of
1903. These resulted in the dis
covery of number of specimens and
human skeletons, as we'll as the Sc
curing of several dozen photographs
and a mass of field notes. Other
data have been secured, both before
the expedition and since, from col
lections and museums. The follow
ing preliminary account is made up
from these results, which may not
be published in full for some time
to come.
Central Washington is arid. In
most respects the climate resembles
that of the southern interior Of
British Columbia to the north. The
summers are perhaps warmer and
the winters colder. There is less
vegetation, and no trees are seen
except in river bottoms or where IL
rigation has been successfully prose-
cuted The prehistoric people had
no great staples, and had to rely
upon perhaps even greater variety
of natural products than did the
people further north.
A glance at the linguistic map of
Washington shows that great num-
Der of tribes inhabited the general
region. This suggests the possibility
of the existence of more than one
culture area within the same terri
tory, although, of course, we may
find several tribes, especially if they
be subject to the same environment,
all within one culture area.
Definite age cannot be assigned
to the archaeological finds, since
here, as to the north, the remains
are found at no great depth or in
soil the surface of which is frequent
ly shifted. Some of the graves are
known to be of modern Indians, but
many of them antedate the advent
Of the white race in this region, or
at least contain no objects Of Euro
pean manufacture, such as glass
beads or iron knives. On the other
hand, there was found no positive
evidence of the great antiquity of
any of the skeletons, artifacts or
structures found in the area.
The implements used in securing
food include many clipped pro-
jectile points Of bright-colored
agates, chalcedonies and similar
stone. Several small quarries of
this material, with adjacent work
shops, were found. While the bulk
of the stone used was quite different
from the black basalt employed tc
the north, yet a few points Clipped
from that material were also found
Points rubbed out of stone or bone
were rare. Digging stick handles
were seen, but no sap scrapers were
found.
Some small heaps of fresh water
clam shells were examined, but
these being only about five feet in
diameter and as many inches II
depth. are hardly to be compared tc
the immense she'll heaps of the
coast. Net sinkers were made by
notching and also growing pebbles
Such sinkers were very rare to the
north and much more numerou:
here than on the coast, except neal
the mouth of the Columbia river
where grooved sinkers, usually
slightly different from these, arr
found.
For preparing food pestles were
used. These differ from those founc
either to the north or on the coast
many of them being much longer
Soma had tops in the form Of ami
NAL heads. Fish knives made O.
slate were not found. and. it is be
lieved. pottery was not made in the
region.