A number of implements were found which may have served for the preparation of skins and for sewing. Among these may be mentioned skin scrapers, awls, a needle, and a mat presser.
Fig. 53 (202-8302). Scraper chipped from a Flat Circular Pebble. From the surface of the bank of Columbia River near the head of Priest Rapids. ½ nat. size.
Fig. 54 (202-8307). Scraper or Knife chipped from a Pebble. From the surface of the bank of Columbia River, near the head of Priest Rapids. ½ nat. size.
Scrapers Chipped from Stone. The scrapers chipped from stone, shown in Figs. 49 to 52, and considered among tools used by men on pp. 67-68, may possibly have been used on skins although they seem rather small for such a purpose. The specimen shown in Fig. 53, made from a flat circular pebble was found on the surface of the bank of the Columbia River, near the head of Priest Rapids. The edges are chipped in such a way that it has been brought somewhat to the form of a square. This object would serve well as a skin scraper if hafted in the split end of a stick and used like similar implements seen in use by us among the natives of the Thompson River region.[198] It resembles archaeological specimens from the same area.[199] In the Nez Perce region to the east[200] a disk-shaped spall struck from a boulder was used for skin scraping. Another form, shown in Fig. 54, is chipped from a pebble, probably a flat circular one. Along one side, the surface of the pebble shows, but on the other it has been completely chipped away. In outline, the object is elliptical, but has a slight tendency to be pointed at each end. It is lenticular in section, with the edges jaggedly sharp. This reminds us of certain specimens found at Columbus and The Dalles, which have the same general shape, but are ground and polished, so that no signs of chipping remain on some of them. It seems probable that this specimen is a roughed-out form of the same kind, which may have been used in its present condition, or was intended to be finished by grinding and polishing. It seems quite likely that this implement may have been hafted in the end of a split stick and used as a skin scraper, similar to those previously mentioned. On the other hand, it may have been held in the hand and used in scraping skins or perhaps as a knife. It was found with another on the surface of the bank of the Columbia River, near the head of Priest Rapids. Another of these (202-8117) was found on the surface at Kennewick. The specimen shown in Fig. 55 is simply an oval water-worn pebble with one edge chipped on both sides. It is 115 mm. long by 16 mm. thick, may be an unfinished object, if not a scraper or knife, and was found on the surface of the bank of the Columbia River near the head of Priest Rapids.Scrapers Rubbed from Bone. Scrapers made of bone, similar to those found by us in the Thompson River region and in the vicinity of Puget Sound[201] were not seen in the Yakima region.
Fig. 55 (202-8297). Scraper or Knife chipped from a Pebble. From the surface of the bank of Columbia River, near the head of Priest Rapids. ½ nat. size.
Awls Rubbed from Bone. Awls made of bone have been found in this area. The specimens made of stone, mentioned on p. 25 among chipped points, and on p. 66 among drills may have been used by women for the same purposes. The specimen shown in Fig. 56, was found on the surface of an island in the Columbia River near the mouth of the Snake, and it is bleached from exposure. It was collected and presented by Mr. D. W. Owen. The specimen shown in Fig. 57, was found on an island in the Columbia River, forty miles above the mouth of the Snake, and it is bleached from exposure on the surface. The shaft is nearly circular in cross section and tapers to a point for one half its length. The base ends in a flat elbow piece. The outline of the end of this projection is rounded. The specimen was collected and presented by Mr. D. W. Owen.
No awls made from the proximal part of the ulna of the deer were seen by us in this area, although it will be remembered they were found in the Thompson River region[202] and are reported from the Nez Perce region to the east by Spinden who says that they were used in braiding rope.[203] We found them on the coast of British Columbia and Washington.[204] The same remarks are true of awls made of the distal end of the metapodial of the deer.[205]
Fig. 56 (20.0-1466). Awl made of Bone. From the surface of an Island in Columbia River near the mouth of the Snake. ½ nat. size. (Collected and presented by Mr. Owen.)
Fig. 57 (20.0-1465). Awl made of Bone. From an Island in Columbia River, forty miles above the mouth of the Snake. ½ nat. size. (Collected and presented by Mr. Owen.)
Fig. 58. Spatulate Object made of Bone. From the Yakima Valley. ½ nat. size. (Drawn from photograph 44503, 6-4. Original catalogue No. 13 in the collection of Mr. Janeck.)
This seems rather interesting since these two kinds of awls, each made of a special bone are so commonly found and so widely distributed in America that it seems hardly possible that they may not yet be found in this region. Simple sharpened bone implements which are said to have been used as awls are found in the Nez Perce region[206] where according to Spinden, a small awl was used in making basketry but we saw none in the Yakima region not considered to be points for arrows or spears.Needles. Only one object which may be considered as a needle was seen by us in the Yakima region, and it will be remembered that they are rare on the coast of British Columbia and Washington, except in the Lower Fraser[207] country, although they were common in the Thompson River region.[208] This specimen shown in Fig. 58 is a long needle-like object, No. 13, in the collection of Mr. Janeck. The object is warped or bent like the needles used in the Puget Sound country to string cat-tail stalks together in order to make mats. This specimen is 291 mm. long. The point is sharpened and although the side edges are flat, it somewhat resembles a paper knife. At a point nearly one third of its length from the base, it is perforated through the middle by gouging from each side. The base is notched, in such a way that the object is bilaterally symmetrical as shown in the illustration. It may possibly but not probably have served as a sap scraper.[209]
Mat Pressers. Mat pressers, or objects that are considered to be such, made of stone are commonly found in the area immediately to the south. No objects recognized as such were found by us in the Thompson River region, and from the coast of British Columbia and Washington there is only one. It is made of stone[210] and was found at Cadboro Bay near Victoria. Specimens made of wood are very common among the present natives of the same coast. A ground soapstone object from the Nez Perce region is considered by Spinden an arrow-shaft polisher,[211] but seems to me more likely to be a mat presser of the type found in the region immediately south of the Yakima area.
The object shown in Fig. 59 which may be an unfinished pipe, is of the form of a flattened cylinder, made of steatite and was found at Prosser in the southern part of the area here considered. The surface is marked with incised figures, part of which are illustrated in Fig. 59b and described on p. 124. The groove on one side suggests that it may have been used as a mat presser such as are used to string cat-tails and tule stalks. The cylindrical bore in the top is 25 mm. deep by 10 mm. in diameter and its top is funnel-shaped. The original is in the collection of Mr. Spalding.[212]
