SMITH ON ETHNOLOGY OF THOMPSON RIVER REGION. i> 



The ai*chjvolo<:i.<iil literature of this re<;ion, until visited by this ex- 

 pcditiou, was hirjicly coutined to paj^es 10-12 of notes on the Shuswap 

 people of British Columbia by Dr. (ieorge M. Dawson in the Transactions 

 of the Royal Society of Canada, Sect. 2, 1891. There were a few speci- 

 mens in the IM-ovincial .Museum at Victoria and the Geological Museum 

 at Ottawa, practically all other data being- unavailable because uu- 

 ])ublished or in jjrivate cabinets. 



The arch.eological specimens were found in ancient village sites but 

 largely in graves, some of which were in the ground, others formed by 

 causing talus uuiterial to slide down over the bodies placed on the ground 

 at the foot of a bluff. The skeletons w^ere usually found buried upon the 

 side, and always tlexed. They were sometimes covered with fragments 

 of matting and fabric made of the sagebrush bark which had been pre- 

 served by the dryness of the climate. 



The greatest antiquity which can be assigned to these remains is 

 best judged by the fact that some of the graves were not known to exist 

 by the natives and were not mentioned in their traditions. Objects 

 obtained from the whites were not found in these graves. 



Circular holes from ten to about thirty feet in diameter by two to 

 five feet deep, surrounded by an embankment, indicate that the ancient 

 winter houses were identical in type with the underground houses used 

 by the natives of the region in historic times and of which two examples 

 still exist, although fast going to ruin. Saucer shaped depressions 

 indicate the sites of summer lodges, also similar to those of which one 

 or two may still be seen in out of tlie way places. These are the typical 

 conical tepes of the plains and ally the culture of this region with 

 that further east. 



The implements used in procuring food were chipped points of stone 

 for arrows, spears, etc., points rubbed out of slate and bone, and antler 

 implements for killing bear. Roots were dug as indicated by the 

 crutch-like handles made of antler for digging sticks. Scrapers for 

 securing the edible inner bark of various pine trees, and bone tubes 

 like those used for drinking water by modern Indian maidens during 

 puberty rites, were also found. For the ])reparation of food stone 

 pestles, anvils, mortars, and fish knives made of slate like those still 

 used on the coast w^ere secured. 



For building houses and carpenter work wedges made of elk antler, 

 stone hammers, nephrite adzes or chisels which may also have been 

 used for battle axes, whetstones, carving- knives made of beaver teeth, 

 and chipped stone scrapers and drills were found. Pairs of coarse 

 sandstone semi-cylinders grooved in the middle of the flat sides, simi- 

 lar to the modern arrow shaft smoother, bone awls, skin scrapers, and 

 fiat needles such as are now used for sewing cattail stalks into mats, 

 with which to cover the houses, were frequently secured. 



For war, besides the objects which were used for procuring game 

 for food, there were found war clubs made from the ribs of whales. 

 The handles were carved to represent human heads and the sculpture 

 reseml>les that of the coast, from which the bone must have been im- 

 ported. There were also bone daggers. 

 2 



