Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 September 1875 — Antiquities of the Pacific Slope. [ARTICLE]

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, arrowheads, shell ornaments, etc.: The skeletons were lying with face downward and heads to the west. The skulls differed but little from existing Indian races on this coast, the facial angle denoting aboriginal intelligence. The bones were large, and the markings of the muscular attachments indicated great physical development. The remains of but few animals were found, except seals, fish and mollusks, and occasionally the bone of a dog With some skeletons quantities of small, black seeds were found, which were probably used for a beverage. A many pipes indicated the smoking propensities of their owners. They were made from steatin, some being a foot in length and having polished bone mouthpieces. The principal antiquities found were ollas, finely carved from magnesian limestone, pipes, vases, cups, ladles, tortilla stone, etc., from the same material; beads and innumerable trinkets, manufactured from shells; mortars, pestles, and warclubs from sandstone, etc. The mollusks upon which they subsisted were principally habiatus, ehrone, succincta, picteus, tapes, crepictulas, and oysters. The ollas were used for cooking-vessels. Many of the smaller vessels, as well as the haliotis shells, tvere doubtless used for drinking, cups. A few iron implements were found wrapped with fur, and an old Spanish ax 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 drillheads, perforators, etc., were abundant. Instruments of flint from three to six inches long, chipped into the shape of a three-cornered file, were with the skeletons. I 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 twentyto twentysix inches in length. They were usually about a half inches in diameter at the larger end and gradually tapered to about one and a 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 showing the highest workmanship. Some of the vessels had been broken while in 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 wai-paint. In other instances the paint was made into balls and squares and ornamented. Beads of stone and shells were used for embroidering and other ornamental purposes. The remains of old “ dugouts,” or boats, were found. In all the ollas and in the graves were found pieces of redwood,' showing a superstitious regard for this wood. Wampum made from alticella 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 remarkable discovery, but it embraces the main points. The place has been inhabited, doubtless, for several hundred years, and was not abandoned till the present century. In one instance I found with the skeleton of a man a war-club of stone, a hompoon of copper and a spear-head of iron. The iron was considerably decayed, but here were represented the three im portant ages of archaeologists. The skeletons, which were very numerous, were buried fronitwojo six feet below the surface. The collection will be exhibited at our approaching Centennial, where it will vie with those from Nineveh and Troy.